Humanity's Greatest Bedtime Story
by Gothic Dancer
Summary: Eren and Levi's son has a nightmare, but Eren is out for the night, so the storytelling duties fall to Levi. He tells their son the best story he knows. Primarily Riren/Ereri, past mpreg, now a series of stories!
1. Bedtime Story

Levi groaned as the little hands on his roused him from his sleep. He blinked a few times, and the small figure standing next to his bed came into focus. Those big, green eyes were locked on him, and he registered the unshed tears swimming in them. Sighing through his nose, he rubbed his eyes and pushed himself up on his elbow. "What is it, baby?" he said.

The little boy whimpered and clutched the stuffed toy in his arms tightly against his chest. "Nightmare."

Levi nodded, yawning and sitting up straight. He reached down and pulled the little boy into his lap, gently holding him close. The little boy immediately snuggled up to him and noticeably relaxed.

Not too long ago, this never would have happened. Levi had never been able to picture being this tender and loving with anyone. He was a soldier, a disciplined, strict, and demanding lance corporal, and he had thought he always would be. But then, all of a sudden, he had a person in his life who needed him, who depended on him for everything. As soon as the little boy had been born, he had felt his heart swell and burst with a love he didn't even know existed. He shook his head slightly as he pondered this, still holding the little boy in his arms.

"It's okay," he murmured, pressing his lips against the child's temple. "It was just a bad dream; it wasn't real. You're safe."

This seemed to comfort the child, because his grip on his toy relaxed. Levi rubbed his arm soothingly and buried his nose in the child's hair, and the little boy nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Thank you, Papa."

Levi let the tiniest of smiles grace his lips. The fact that he could bring comfort and happiness to another person, that he could do something other than kill, made his heart feel light. He had spent so many years fighting and killing, never knowing he was even capable of giving love and life. For the first time in his life, he was truly surprised at himself.

The child looked up at him and smiled wide. "Papa," he said, "story?"

Levi's breath hitched and his narrow eyes widened slightly. A story? Oh no, that was his husband's job. He was terrible at telling child-friendly stories.

But Eren wasn't there. He was spending the night with Jean, Armin, Mikasa, and the rest of the old gang from the 104th Trainee Squad, and he wouldn't be home until morning. When it came to comforting their child this time, Levi was on his own.

And he was terrified.

But those big, green eyes kept staring at him expectantly, and Levi couldn't say no. Those beautiful eyes their baby had inherited from his daddy would be the death of him. He couldn't resist whenever either his husband or his child looked at him with them, and they were even more impossible to resist when both sets looked at him at the same time. Levi groaned quietly. He had spoiled both of them, and they had made him soft.

Letting out a surrendering sigh, Levi leaned against the headboard of the king-sized bed and tucked the warm, soft blankets around themselves, his son still cuddled up to his chest. The child hugged his stuffed toy and smiled, pleased that he'd have happy thoughts when he fell asleep again.

"Alright," Levi began, "once upon a time…"

_There was peaceful village in the countryside. Nothing too exciting usually happened in the village, so the people were very scared when a giant, horrible monster appeared and started destroying everything. Luckily, there were very strong fighters in the village, and they were able to capture the monster. They brought it to a secret prison underground where it couldn't hurt anyone._

_There was something strange about the monster though. As soon as it realized that it couldn't get out of the prison, it stopped trying to escape. One of the fighters, a young man, came to visit it, and he was surprised that the monster seemed sad._

_"Why are you not trying to escape?" the man asked._

_"Because I'll never undo this curse now," the monster replied._

_"You're not actually a monster?" the man asked._

_"I don't know," the monster replied. "I've been a monster for such a long time that I don't remember if I've ever looked any other way. I just know I look this way now because of the curse."_

_The man felt very bad for the monster, but he was still careful. He wanted to make sure the monster wasn't trying to trick him. "What can break the curse?" he asked._

_"It's not 'what'," the monster said. "It's 'who.' A person can break the curse, but I don't know who."_

_"Oh, I understand," the man said. "You weren't trying to destroy our village. You were looking for the person who could break the curse."_

_And so, for the next few weeks, the man visited the monster every single day. He brought it meals and talked to it about anything and everything he could think of. He told it about the outside world and how beautiful it was, about the village and how happy it usually was, about the fighters and how they put their lives on the line to protect the people no matter what, everything._

_But then, one day, the monster asked about the man's family and friends, and the man became very sad. "I don't have any family or friends," he said. "They all died a long time ago. So I guess I'm all alone, too."_

_"No, you're not," the monster said, smiling sweetly. "You have me. And I'm not all alone either, because I have you."_

_So the man and the monster became friends. Soon the man trusted the monster so much that he actually went inside the prison cell and sat next to it. Eventually, he was able to convince the other fighters to let the monster out of its cell and back above ground. With the fighters constantly watching it, the village people weren't scared, and they even came to trust it when they saw how friendly it was towards them. The entire village became peaceful again, and the man and the monster were both very happy._

_But then, one day, another monster came to the village, and this one wasn't friendly at all. And, even worse, it wasn't alone. Dozens of other bad monsters followed it into the village, and they started to destroy everything. The fighters tried to stop them, but there were too many. Even the young man, who was actually the strongest of all the fighters, was easily defeated._

_The good monster held the wounded man in its large hands and started to cry. "No, please don't die," it said. "Please, no, I promise I'll defeat every single one of these bad monsters. I'll do it all by myself if I have to! Please just don't die!" It gently rubbed the tip of its nose against the man's chest before setting him down in a safe place and running towards the bad monsters. It let out loud, thundering roars as it fought each and every one of them, tears still running down its face._

_Another fighter came to the young man's aid, and, with a little help, he was able to open his eyes and sit up. When he did, he saw the good monster fighting the bad monsters alone, and it was winning! The bad monsters fell one by one until there were none left. The village people cried out with joy and celebrated the good monster's victory, but it had no strength left to join them, and it fell over into a field of flowers with a loud thump. The young man gasped and ran to the good monster, and he began to cry when he saw how hurt the good monster was._

_"Please wake up!" the man begged, slapping his hands against the monster's face. "Please don't die!"_

_The monster's eyes cracked open, and it smiled down at the man. "I'm so happy…you're alive," it said, but then its eyes fell closed again._

_The man kept crying and pressed his arms and body up against the monster's face. "Please don't die," he whispered. "I don't want to lose anymore friends. Please, I care about you so much. I…I love you."_

_And, just like that, a giant puff of steam burst from the monster's body. It was so thick that the man had to jump back, and he couldn't see anything. But soon the steam rose into the air, and, when it finally cleared, the monster's body was gone. Lying there instead was another young man who slowly blinked his eyes open and looked up at the fighter with a look of pure joy. "You did it!" he exclaimed. "You broke the curse! The bad monsters took all my family and friends away when I was little and cursed me to become one of them so I could never love or be loved ever again. But the fact that you love me saved me! I love you, too!"_

_The fighter man gasped as the other young man stood and held his arms out for him. Nodding his head and crying happy tears, he jumped into the man's open arms, knowing he would never be alone ever again._

"The two men immediately began living together, and, a few years later, they got married. And then, another few years later-"

Levi stopped when he heard soft snoring come from his chest. He looked down and cracked a tiny smile at his son, who had already fallen asleep. The little boy looked so at peace as he hugged his stuffed toy, which was actually a friendly-looking version of Eren's Titan form. It was his favorite toy, as his parents had told him upon giving it to him that it would always protect him.

Levi pressed a kiss onto the boy's head and settled him down next to him in the bed, tucking the blankets around him. The slight smile still graced his lips as he whispered the ending of the story in the boy's ear.

"Another few years later, they had a precious baby boy, and they were the happiest they could ever be. The end."

Another kiss.

"Good night, baby, sweet dreams."

* * *

The front door opened around mid-morning the next day. "I'm home!"

"Daddy!" the little boy squealed, running from the kitchen and jumping into his father's arms. Eren laughed as he picked the child up and hugged him to his chest, sprinkling kisses all over his little face. The child laughed excitedly and hugged him tightly around his neck as he walked the two of them back to the kitchen.

Standing at the stove was Levi, warming up a mix of oats and fruit for the three of them. Eren, who now towered over Levi at a good 6'5", bent down and gave his husband a kiss. When they pulled away, Levi showed him a smile, something he had been doing more often recently. "Welcome home," he said, gently taking their son away and setting him down on the floor. He handed him a stack of plates and said, "Go set the table."

"Okay!" the little boy said cheerfully, and he ran into the next room.

As soon as he was gone, Levi shot Eren a playful glare. "You're not allowed out overnight anymore, you stupid brat," he said. "I had to write humanity's next great novel last night because of it."

"YOU told a bedtime story last night?" Eren seemed legitimately stunned, and it only annoyed Levi more.

The older man sighed. "Don't act like it's the most impressive thing I've ever done, idiot. It wasn't even fictional. I'd tell it to you, but you already know it."

A grin split Eren's face, and he planted another kiss on Levi's lips. When he giggled into the kiss, Levi pushed him away and playfully smacked his arm. Eren couldn't stop grinning even as he did so. And both were still smiling as they carried their breakfast into the dining room, where their son was waiting patiently.

A fighter, a good monster, and their baby boy.

END


	2. Proposal Story

Author's Note: I didn't expect that little one-shot to be so popular and get such great feedback, but I suppose this fandom is desperate for happy fluff, huh? Well, enough people asked for it, so I'll write more stories about Eren, Levi, and their son. I don't have any names in mind for the kid, so I'm open to suggestions. Also, I'm open to suggestions for plots for each of these stories. Not requests, mind you, but I'll listen to suggestions for ideas. In general, the stories can be read alone but will ultimately make more sense if you read them together. Enjoy!

* * *

"By the way," Eren said as he filled his spoon with another mouthful of the sweetened grains in his breakfast bowl, "don't eat too much. Connie invited the whole gang to a picnic for lunch. We should each bring something, he said."

Levi raised an eyebrow at his husband and held his own filled spoon to his lips. "What for?" he said back, suspicion and slight disgust in his voice. Yes, Connie was the type of person who liked to have fun with a large group of people, but his idea of fun usually included alcohol and some ridiculous stunt involving the 3D Maneuver Gear. A picnic seemed too out of place for his taste. And besides, the idea of eating on the ground repulsed Levi to no end. Tables outside were okay as long as they had been wiped down, but blankets on the ground left little protection against dirt, bugs, small animals, and germs in general. Why anyone would find it fun was beyond him. Unless…!

"Sasha's trying to get free food, isn't she?"

Eren let out an amused snort. "Possibly. She might have gotten him to send out the invite to make it less suspicious."

The shorter man rolled his eyes and swallowed the last spoonful of his breakfast. "I guess they're made for each other, those idiots."

"Oh, come on, Sasha has great instincts, and Connie might not be too bright, but they're not idiots."

"That's open to interpretation."

Now it was Eren's turn to roll his eyes. As much as Levi had softened over the years, between their marriage and the arrival of their baby boy, he still had that same grumpy personality. It was actually sort of comforting for Eren though, to know that the man he had fallen in love with was never really going to change too much.

Levi was about to get up from the table when a thought struck him. "Are we going outside the walls for this picnic?"

"Ah, so we ARE going!" Eren grinned cheekily, causing their son to giggle into his filled spoon and splatter some of the oats onto the table. The child gasped at what he had done and looked up at his papa with fearful eyes. He had been taught from the moment he could understand human speech not to make a mess anywhere in the house, and he had seen how vigorously his papa cleaned whenever something wasn't up to his cleanliness standards, so he expected a scolding and punishment.

Levi saw the panic on his son's face and let out a long, heavy sigh through his nose. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he stood and walked to where the little mess was. "Accidents happen. Try not to do it again," he murmured, kissing the boy's head, wiping the food away, and looking up at his husband. "So? Inside or outside the walls?"

Eren's lips tilted upwards in a small smile. "Connie wants to go outside."

Levi nodded. "We'll bring our gear just in case." He looked down at the little boy, whose expression had lightened but still held some caution. Seeing this and not wanting to see fear in those big, beautiful eyes again, he knelt down to the child's level and said, "What do you think we should bring for Uncle Connie and Aunt Sasha?"

* * *

The gates closed behind the group as they headed out towards an open, comfortable spot only about half a mile away from the walls. Thanks to Erwin, Levi, and the combined efforts of the entire Survey Corps mixed with their retrieval of Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie back to humanity's side, the Titan population had decreased dramatically in just a few years. Titan sightings were becoming increasingly rare, and the threat of invasion was almost non-existent. A few still roamed the general area outside the walls, but they rarely attacked in groups anymore. One Titan versus an entire group of veteran Survey Corps soldiers was nothing. Therefore, it was safe to venture outside (yet stay close to) the walls without horses, but all soldiers usually brought their 3D Maneuver Gear anyway. Better paranoid than eaten.

Upon arriving at a cool, shaded yet open area, blankets were set down and plates were passed around. Eren and Levi had their son pass cups to everyone, as the child had suggested making tea for the picnic. "What if we have a lot of food but nothing to drink?" he had said, later adding that "Papa makes the best tea ever!"

And how could Levi argue with that logic? He leaned against his husband's shoulder, allowing his defenses to lower slightly as he watched his little boy kindly offer cups and tea to everyone. He bristled a bit at one point when Ymir ruffled his hair, but Historia quickly fixed it and thanked him for the drinks with that sweet, angelic smile of hers. Annie, who was sitting between them and Reiner, snorted when she heard the blond man mutter something about not getting to her quick enough.

Soon the different plates of food made their rounds as well, mostly breads and cold vegetable soups. Levi sipped at the potato stew Sasha had made herself and silently admitted to himself that it wasn't bad. Eren noticed the subtle look of satisfaction on his husband's face and cracked a smile as he bit into a piece of bread. In the back of his mind, he wished he could have some substantial protein to munch on. Meat was becoming more available, but it was still a rarity, reserved for special occasions.

That was when Connie placed a plate of meat on his blanket and stood.

Oh.

"Everyone! Thanks for coming out this afternoon. I wanted to share this with as many of you as possible." He wore a goofy grin and knelt down next to Sasha, who was in the middle of chewing a roll. A small line of drool ran down her chin, and her gaze shifted back and forth between Connie and the plate of meat. Her eyes widened when Connie pulled a small box from his pocket, and everyone suddenly knew why he had invited them outside the walls for a picnic.

"Sasha," he said, shaking a bit with a happy anxiety, "you're the best thing that ever happened to me. You mean the world to me. I'd face a million Titans alone for you. I want to stand by your side for the rest of our lives and share my life with you. I love you, Sasha Braus, so will you marry me?" And he opened the box to reveal a simple yet beautiful silver band.

Sasha's full cheeks turned bright pink, and tears started to form at the corners of her eyes, which still shifted back and forth between Connie and the plate of meat. Somehow, she managed to swallow the bread in her mouth, gulp a few mouthfuls of cool tea down, and cry out "YES!" as she threw her arms around her now-fiancé, swiftly grabbing a piece of meat and shoving it in her mouth along the way.

Levi raised a brow. "I can't tell what she's more excited about."

The whole group burst into cheers and applause for the happy couple. Connie was still shaking and Sasha was still crying as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Jean started chanting "KISS, KISS!" amongst all the noise, causing Mikasa to roll her eyes but keep clapping anyway. She chuckled quietly at Armin next to her, who had burst into tears because he "was just so happy he couldn't stand it."

Connie and Sasha did eventually kiss, once Sasha had swallowed the meat pieces in her mouth. They laughed at each other's bright red faces for a few seconds and then fell into a peaceful silence, just holding each other as their friends kept cheering. Eventually, the noise died down, and Historia was the first one to ask what kind of dress Sasha wanted to wear. Hanji and Ymir pulled Sasha away from Connie so he couldn't hear what the women were planning, and even Annie and Mikasa found themselves unable to hide their excitement. Jean playfully slapped Connie on the back while Bertholdt ground his fist into his shaved head. Reiner couldn't stop laughing, and Armin couldn't stop crying.

Eren was just about to join them when he son returned to him and Levi. "Daddy," the little boy said, "what just happened?"

Eren grinned and pulled the little boy into his lap as Levi wrapped both his arms around his husband's larger one, a small, content smile on his face. "Uncle Connie just asked Aunt Sasha to marry him," Eren explained, "and she agreed, so they're engaged now. That means that they love each other so much that they want all of humanity to know it. They're going to have a very special ceremony to declare it, too. They're going to exchange matching rings so that everyone knows they love each other." He brought his hand with his own ring in front of the little boy's eyes, and Levi took that as his cue to show his matching ring off as well. "Just like Daddy and Papa."

A smile broke out onto the child's face. "Yay!" he squealed, clapping his hands together clumsily. He turned around in his father's lap so he was looking up at him. "Did you ask Papa to marry you like this, Daddy?"

"I would have said no if he had done this," Levi interrupted with a sigh.

Eren's smile softened as he glanced at his husband and then looked back down at his child. "No, I asked Papa to marry me in private. Let me tell you the story."

_Eren grinned into his pillow as he heard the front door to the house close early that morning. Levi would be out all day, if he kept his schedule. He was supposed to venture into Wall Sina with Erwin today to report on the Survey Corps and its progress in the fight against the Titans, leaving Eren home alone._

_But the young man wasn't about to waste the entire day in bed. What would be the point of spending a day in bed if Levi wasn't there to share it with him anyway? He quickly jumped up and pulled sheets off, throwing them into a pile on the floor. He then grabbed all the other linens from around the house and added them to the pile. Once the fabrics were all together, he stripped himself of his pajamas and threw them into a separate pile. He hurriedly put his day clothes on and tied an apron around his waist and a bandana around his head to keep his hair out of his eyes. Even if he had the whole day, there wasn't a moment to lose._

_He started by washing every single linen in the house, every sheet, every curtain, every tablecloth, every single one. Once they were all clean, he hung them up to dry outside (thankfully, a pleasant breeze was blowing through town that day) and went back inside to tackle the next chore. He briefly munched on a roll before deciding to start from the top and work his way down, so he pulled the ladder from the closet and started cleaning out the corners of the ceiling._

_Once the ceiling was clear, he made his way down the walls, making sure there were no cobwebs or little bits of dust trying to hide from him. He also wiped down all the windows, rubbing the cleaning cloth in circles until it squeaked and he could see his reflection in the glass. He gave himself a soft smile. He hadn't changed too much over the years, the one exception being his massive growth spurt. His hair had grown out a little bit, and he had become more muscular, but his face had only matured a little bit. He still had those same large, green eyes and that sweet smile, so he still had a young look about him. And it was with the glee of a child that he thought about what he was planning for the evening._

_But it would never happen if he didn't finish his chores. Snapping back to reality, he finished rubbing the windows clean and wiping down the walls. Then he went for the counter and table tops, paying extra attention to the ones in the kitchen. No little crumb could escape his sight, so he shoved another roll in his mouth before he began to clean, swearing that he wouldn't eat another bite until Levi came home that night to avoid any sort of mess. As soon as he swallowed, he was hunched over the counters and vigorously rubbing the cleaning cloth back and forth, being quite liberal with his soap use._

_He then moved onto the floor, sweeping them all twice and then getting down on his hands and knees to search for any little bits of food or dust or dirt. He even dug through the little cracks in the wood. Everything had to be spotless for Levi, so Eren left nothing overlooked._

_By the time he was done cleaning the house, the linens outside were dry. He brought them back inside and redressed the house, taking special care when he remade the bed. He was determined to make it as comforting and inviting and pristine as possible, despite the fact that, he hoped anyway, it would be a mess the next morning._

_The sun was starting to set by the time he was done with all of this. Eren pulled the bandana from his head and untied the apron, sighing and slumping in a chair in the living room. He had truly done it, he had cleaned the entire house from top to bottom. A chuckle escaped his lips, and he briefly wondered if this was coming off as desperate. Levi would probably think he had done something horrible and had cleaned so obsessively as an apology. He smirked and hauled himself out of the chair in favor of the kitchen. There was one thing he could make that he knew was easy to clean and that Levi would appreciate._

_The front door opened and closed about fifteen minutes later. A grumpy Levi paused in taking off his shoes at the door when he noticed just how perfect everything in the house was. His eyes darted all over, but he couldn't see a single speck of dust. He knelt down and swept his index finger across the floor, but no dirt colored it. Narrowing his eyes, he stood when he heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. In the doorway stood Eren, holding a tray of piping hot tea and small snacks with a pleasant smile on his face. "Welcome home."_

_"Alright, what did you do?" Levi deadpanned, lips curling into a disappointed frown. "What'd you break? Where'd you transform? Who'd you kill?"_

_Eren's smile turn into a triumphant grin. "Nothing, nowhere, and nobody! I just thought I'd do something nice for you."_

_Levi contemplated this. If Eren hadn't royally messed something up, what was he doing? If he wanted something, he usually flashed those impossible-to-resist puppy eyes and pouted until Levi agreed to whatever it was (which happened a lot). But here he was with a tray of delicious tea and an impossibly clean house, asking for nothing. The whole scene definitely intrigued him, and he had to admit that it was kind of hot. His expression softened as he walked over to Eren and stood on his tip-toes while Eren bent down to meet in a sweet, innocent kiss._

_"Thank you," Levi said as he pulled away, "this is quite nice."_

_Eren smiled down at him and set the tray on a nearby table. He then knelt down in front of Levi, their eyes never breaking contact, though Levi's eyes widened at the movement. Eren took Levi's hand in his and held it gently, placing a sweet kiss on it. "Levi," he said as he pulled away, "I love you with all my heart, and I want all of humanity to know it." He pulled a small box out from behind the tea kettle and opened it, revealing a simple, shining, silver ring. His smile widened as he said, "Levi, please, will you marry me?"_

_The older man didn't know what to say at first. He stood in a stunned silence for a few moments, drinking the scene in, and he quickly realized that it was perfect. A clean house, a kettle of hot tea, and the man he loved by his side forever, that was the ideal life._

_But he would never say that. "Oh, so you did want something," he said instead._

_Eren burst out laughing. "Yeah, sort of," he agreed, gazing up at Levi with those beautiful eyes and enticing him with that gorgeous smile. "Please, Levi, will you marry me?"_

_Levi sighed and leaned down, gently pressing his lips to Eren's. "Yes, you spoiled brat," he murmured when he pulled away just enough so he could speak, but he quickly pressed his lips against Eren's again so the younger man couldn't say anything stupid. Somehow, Eren managed to slip the ring onto Levi's finger and then wrap his arms around him, bringing him close to his chest. Instinctively, Levi snuggled up against him and placed his palms on each side of Eren's face so he could wipe the tears of happiness away from his eyes._

"And then we were married a few months later," Eren finished, maneuvering the ring off his finger. He held it up for his son to see, and the little boy squinted at it.

"Daddy, there's something written inside it."

Levi nodded. "It's the same on mine." He pulled his own off and held it next to Eren's so the boy could compare the two.

"Until the stars fall."

"It's the promise we made at our ceremony," Levi continued, slipping the ring back onto his finger. "When Daddy and I were married, we promised we'd love each other until the stars fell."

The little boy giggled. "Silly! That'll never happen!"

Eren smiled as he slipped his own ring back on. "Exactly."

And the three of them sat and watched as their friends fussed over the newly-engaged couple before them. Somehow, they knew it would work between them. At one point, Connie confessed that the reason he invited everyone to a picnic outside the walls was because Sasha loved three things in this world: food, friends, and nature.

Ah yes, they'd definitely live happily ever after, too.

END


	3. Lesson Story

_BANG!_

_CRASH!_

Eren and Levi immediately looked up from their afternoon tea and frantically ran towards where they had heard the sudden, loud noises. They skidded to a stop as soon as they came upon the living room, panting heavily with their eyes wide, drinking in the scene. There stood a guilty-looking little boy, a bouncy ball innocently rolling towards his feet, and a destroyed flower pot sitting in a messy pile of dirt, mud, water, and flower petals on the floor.

The child stared at his parents with huge, fearful eyes, knowing he was in serious trouble without anyone needing to say anything. He shook slightly and kept those eyes on his papa, who stared back with a ferocious, furious intensity.

"What. Did. You. Do," Levi demanded, growling each word out clearly through gritted teeth. His hands balled into fists, and his face was starting to turn a startling shade of red. Eren glanced nervously at his husband, mentally begging him not to do or say something he'd regret later.

The little boy stared at Levi, terrified at his papa's rage. He had never seen him so angry before, and he actually shrunk away out of fear. "I…I'm sorry, Papa."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Levi suddenly shouted, his voice loud enough that it made both Eren and their son jump a bit.

"I…I'm sorry, Papa, I…um, it's raining o-outside and I, um…"

"YOU WHAT?!"

"I wanted to play ball!"

Levi froze but kept his gaze on his son. His normally narrow eyes were wide, and Eren fearfully recognized that look. The only other time he had ever seen that expression was when Levi fought Titans. More specifically, that was the look he saved for whenever he was fighting a Titan that had killed his friends and comrades. Eren didn't know why that look was suddenly appearing now, but he did know that Levi was suddenly seeing their son as an enemy, and that was not okay.

"Levi-"

"You stay out of this," the older man hissed, venom dripping from his voice. He shifted his eyes momentarily to give Eren a warning glare and then gazed back at their son. "How dare you. Do you know what you just did? Do you have any idea of how many house rules you just broke? How badly you ruined something that had real meaning to me? I don't even care about the mess. No, you did something much worse than make a mess. You destroyed a MEMORIAL for SOLDIERS, you horrible little MONSTER!"

That did it. The child burst into tears and ran past his parents, up the stairs, and to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Levi turned and was about to chase after him when a powerful tug forced him back. He stumbled and looked up at Eren, whose grip on his arm never faltered. He frowned sadly at his husband, shaking his head a bit. "Was it really necessary to call him a monster?" he asked.

"Shut up, you stupid brat," Levi snapped back, yanking his arm away. "He broke the rules by playing in the house, and, as a result, he made a huge mess and destroyed the memorial I put together."

"Levi-"

"Today is the anniversary of when Petra, Auruo, Erd, and Gunther were killed!"

Eren grabbed the older man's arm again to keep him still, pausing for a moment to find the right words. He bit his lip, careful not to break the skin, and let out a long sigh. "Yes, it is and we both know that, but he doesn't."

Levi's face slowly softened, and he shook his head lightly, eyes locked on the mess on the floor. The poor flowers hardly even looked like flowers anymore with their petals strewn about. Seeing them in such a state made Levi lower his head, as he didn't want to show Eren the emotion within him rising to the surface. Eren noticed this and gently wrapped his arms around his husband, cradling him against his chest and rocking them both slightly back and forth. He let out a short sigh, relieved that the tension was beginning to dissipate.

After a minute or so, Eren pulled away and tilted Levi's face up for a kiss. It was innocent and loving, just two pairs of lips touching without any real implications. Eren pulled away first, murmuring, "Why don't you take out your frustrations on cleaning this up. I'll go talk to him."

Levi wordlessly nodded, knowing that was for the best. He detached himself from his husband and went to the closet for his apron, bandana, and cleaning supplies.

* * *

The little boy was still crying into his pillow by the time Eren came upstairs. The sight of his son so sad broke his heart, but he kept a straight face, reminding himself that he had to comfort and teach a lesson at the same time. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the nursery and placed his hand on the child's back. The little boy looked up, eyes red and puffy and cheeks flushed pink with tear streaks running down them. Seeing his daddy made the heavy tears stop so only little sniffles remained. Eren sat down on the bed and gently helped his son sit up straight while pulling a handkerchief from his pocket.

"Here," he said, "dry your eyes."

The little boy took the handkerchief and did so, still sniffing a bit as Eren soothingly rubbed his back. When he was done, he looked down at the floor, brought his knees to his chest, and said, "Papa loves cleaning more than me. And he yelled at me so much…I bet he hates me."

Eren glanced down at the child thoughtfully and then looked at a medium-sized box that held some toys on the other side of the room. Without a word, he got up, took some toys out of the box, put some in, and brought it back to his son. "Stand up," he finally said, placing the box in the child's arms when he did. "Okay, stand there holding that box for as long as you can." And he sat back down on the bed.

Watching his son try to stay standing was amusing, but the show came to an end all too quickly. With a grunt of annoyance, the little boy put the box down and turned back to his daddy. "It's big and heavy," he said. "I give up."

"Hmm, really?" Eren replied, resting his elbow on his knee and his face in his palm. "Interesting. Remember when Papa and I told you that you grew inside Papa's tummy until you were ready to be born? You know, you weighed as much as that box when you were born, and that's about as big as Papa's tummy got while you were inside him."

The child's eyes widened.

"And Papa had to carry that big, heavy weight around with him all the time. He wasn't allowed to give up. He had to wait for you to say that you were ready to come out. And then he had to have a special operation in order to make sure you came out safely. He said that it was the most painful thing he's ever experienced, worse than fighting Titans."

The child frowned guiltily.

"But that's not all. Even before his tummy got big and heavy, Papa was still in pain. When he first found out that he was going to have you, he was very sick. Not like he had a stuffy nose either. He threw up multiple times a day, every day, for almost five months. His body was changing to make sure it could support you, so his muscles ached, and he was very emotional. Then, when his tummy did get big and heavy, he could barely walk because his feet hurt so badly, and he couldn't stand up straight because his back hurt, too. And you were moving around and kicking inside him, so his insides even hurt, too."

Tears welled up in the child's eyes again.

Eren saw this and a small smile spread across his face. "But you wanna know what Papa said to me as soon as he got to hold you in his arms?"

_"I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."_

_Levi looked up at his husband as he clutched his newborn son to his chest, rare tears running down his face._

_"I'd suffer that nine-month-long hell and that surgery pain for the rest of my life…no, until the end of time, if it meant I could have him here. Just…god, Eren, look at him, look how perfect he is. I just…"_

_He rubbed his forehead against the newborn's just as the baby's eyes opened for the first time, and their gazes met._

_"I just love him so much."_

"So don't say that Papa hates you when he actually loves you more than anyone else in all of humanity. Even me, and we had a whole ceremony to tell everyone we loved each other."

Fresh tears were rolling down the child's cheeks now, and Eren couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Aw, it's okay, baby, don't cry." He knelt down to the floor and wrapped his arms around his son, who sobbed into his shoulder. Well, at least he had gotten the message across. Still smiling, he tilted the child in his arms and brushed the tears away with his thumb and said, "Papa loves you very much, but he still hates the bad thing you did, so you need to say you're sorry. That's the grown-up thing to do. When a man does something wrong, he admits that he did a bad thing, says he's sorry, and tries to make it better. It's obvious that you're sorry, so go tell Papa so we can all smile again."

The child nodded, hugged his daddy one more time, wiped his eyes, and walked out of his room, Eren following behind. Downstairs, they saw Levi cleaning up the last of the mess. Mustering up all his courage, the little boy walked to his papa just as Levi was pulling the bandana off his head.

"Papa."

Levi turned.

The little boy looked up at him with big, glossy eyes. "Papa, I…I'm sorry I played ball in the house, and I'm sorry I knocked over the flowers, and I'm sorry I made a mess, and I'm s-sorry I m-made you s-so…angry…" He tried to keep his composure, but the tears were starting to appear again, and he was hiccuping between his words. It was the worst feeling in the world, knowing that everything rested on whether or not his papa believed him.

What he didn't know was that Levi's heart was breaking. The sight of his son so upset and so scared made him instantly regret all his yelling and all his rage. He mentally cursed himself, asking why he had reacted in such a way. It wasn't like the child had known those flowers had been a memorial and destroyed them on purpose. He also didn't know who Petra, Auruo, Erd, and Gunther were, as Levi had never told him. He hadn't known any better.

And so, with a sigh and a rare, loving display of affection, Levi wrapped his arms around his son and cuddled him to his chest, smoothing his hair back and kissing his forehead. "Apology accepted," he murmured. "Thank you, sweetheart. I'm sorry, too, I shouldn't have yelled at you, and I shouldn't have called you a monster. You're not. You know what you are?" He pulled away a bit so he could gaze into his child's beautiful, green eyes and gave him a small smile. "You're my precious baby boy, and you always will be." Another kiss. "You've learned your lesson though, right?"

The child rubbed his eyes and nodded. "Uh-huh, I promise I won't play ball in the house again."

One more kiss. "That's my boy." Levi looked up at the window when he noticed something. "Oh, the rain stopped." He looked down at his son again. "Do you want to go outside and play ball now?"

The little boy looked out the window, too, and saw the sun starting to come out. "Can we go pick flowers for the soldiers first?"

Levi felt a little leap of joy flutter through his heart, but he would never mention it, and he would never let it show. He just kept that same small smile and said, "Yes, let's do that first. Maybe I'll tell you a story about them while we're out. They were some of the bravest soldiers I ever knew."

The child nodded, a smile finally returning to his face. "Tell me!"

"Alright, go put your boots on. It's probably muddy outside."

From the stairs, Eren smiled. Mission accomplished. Peace had returned to the Jaeger household, and he mentally filed this as a victory for humanity as he, too, put his boots on.

END


	4. Soldier Story

_When the new Survey Corps recruits were introduced to me, I didn't have high hopes for any of them. I didn't even consider them members of the Survey Corps, because they hadn't been on any missions, meaning they hadn't seen a single Titan and lived to tell the tale. You see, that's how it works in the Survey Corps, the most dangerous of the three military branches. Only when you return alive from your first mission are you considered a soldier._

"Even you and Daddy, Papa?" the child asked, walking in between his fathers and clutching their hands.

Levi looked down at his son and nodded. "Yes, Daddy and I had to come back alive from our first missions to be considered part of the Survey Corps, no exceptions."

"But I thought you were Humanity's Strongest."

"That's a reputation I gained after coming back alive from many missions. Everyone has to start somewhere."

"Oh." The child looked down and frowned.

Eren bit his lip. "I don't know if you're ready for stories about the Survey Corps," he said as gently as he could, gripping his son's hand and casting Levi a worried glance. "The Survey Corps is really scary. It's the only military branch that goes outside the walls and actually fights Titans. The Stationary Guard and the Military Police don't have to, since their jobs are inside the walls. Survey Corps soldiers are constantly in danger. That's why not a lot of people join."

"But that also means that you and Papa are really brave, Daddy!" the child insisted, looking up at Eren with big, sincere eyes. "That's what it means to be brave, right? Do something scary that you don't want to do but doing it anyway?"

_Brave…or foolish,_ Levi thought.

"Why don't we tell you another story?" Eren insisted, wanting to change the subject. "I don't want you to have nightmares."

"But I wanna hear about the brave soldiers!" the child pouted, his eager voice starting to turn into a whine. "Just leave out the scary parts!"

Eren looked at Levi with a worried expression, his eyes saying everything his mouth wasn't. _Can you tell a story about the Survey Corps without the scary parts? Is that possible?_

Levi sighed, feeling a little defeated, and nodded. "Alright, if you get scared, tell me. I'll stop."

The child nodded back.

_Our mission was just to observe the Titans, to see if we could learn anything more about them. For the first few hours, the mission was going well. We were able to stay a safe distance away from them, but we weren't learning anything. They were just walking around aimlessly, so we had to keep moving to be sure that we wouldn't be spotted. We weren't supposed to engage in combat at all._

_Oh, how awry the mission went. All it took was a rustling bush. One of the newbies just wasn't quiet enough, and all hell broke loose. All of a sudden, dozens of Titans appeared. They attacked us all at once, and the newbies were too uncoordinated to stop them. I killed as many as I could, but I was still relatively new to the Survey Corps myself. There were just too many, and we had to retreat._

Levi bent down and picked a nearby wildflower, not making eye contact with his son. The little boy stared at him, eyes filled with both worry and anticipation. He gripped the three flowers in his little hands. "So…are those the soldiers we're picking flowers for?"

Levi shook his head. "It's very sad that they died, but I didn't know them personally. I'm sure that their families and friends honor them still though."

"Oh, that's good."

Silence.

"Um, Papa?"

"Yes?"

"Can we, um, maybe pick one flower to represent all the soldiers who died?"

Both his parents looked up at him with proudly surprised eyes. A smile spread across Eren's face, and he nodded. "Of course we can, baby. That's very kind and thoughtful of you."

The little boy smiled back.

Levi let out a long sigh and composed himself. He didn't want to show his family, but recounting this story was difficult, as remembering all those unnecessary deaths left an awful feeling in his mouth and a crippling feeling of guilt in his stomach. He glanced at his son, who had a sweet smile on his face as he picked another flower. He then glanced at his husband, who eventually met his gaze and offered a small smile himself. He wondered, would they have to venture out to this field and pick flowers for him? He was significantly older than Eren, so he knew that, if he didn't die on the battlefield, he'd die of old age much sooner than his husband would.

Leaving his baby without a papa.

He fell to his knees.

"Levi!"

The man looked up into his husband's beautiful green eyes, and, all of a sudden, he was okay. Those eyes shone brighter than any gem, and they immediately relaxed him. Better memories flooded his mind: the first time Eren ever looked directly in his eyes without fear, the joy in those eyes at their wedding, when they found out their son was coming, and when they met him the first time, the tenderness and love he saw in them before he went to sleep every night. Yes, all that was much better.

He reached up and gently placed his hand on Eren's cheek. "I'm okay."

Eren nodded and kissed his forehead.

"Papa?"

Both men looked back at their son, who now had a bundle of flowers gripped in his little hands and a concerned look on his face.

Levi let out another sigh. "I'm okay, baby, sorry." He walked over to to the little boy and, with no regard for the dirt, sat on the ground and dragged the child into a hug. The little boy squealed and laughed, his voice full of pure happiness. A small small appeared on the Levi's face at the sounds. No, he wasn't going anywhere, not as long as this little angel was around. He was going to make sure of that.

"The story gets better," he said, kissing the boy's temple. "Now then…"

_We retreated and the Titans followed. We were on horseback, so we were able to outrun them for a time. I thought they would tire out, allowing us to make it to safer territory, and I was mostly right. Many of the Titans fell behind while our horses kept going. Eventually, we came upon an area where no Titans seemed to roam, and we thought we were safe._

_How wrong we were. I was positioned at the end of the brigade, and a 15-meter class Titan seemed to appear out of nowhere. It crashed through a nearby abandoned house and charged after me. Everyone in front of me kept moving forward, and I realized that they weren't going to come back to help me. I was on my own. I used my gear to lift myself off my horse, but the Titan was fast, and it grabbed me mid-air with such a strong grip that it broke my gear._

_I thought that was it. That was going to be the end. The Titan opened its mouth and lifted me towards it._

_"Get it, Petra!"_

_I suddenly heard the sound of gear moving, and I saw the Titan starting to fall. Someone had cut the nape of its neck! The Titan was dying!_

_"Auruo! Go!"_

_Another slice, this one at the Titan's wrist. I fell from its grip._

_"Gunther! Catch him!"_

_And someone did catch me. He swung around on his gear, grabbed me mid-air, and brought me to the ground, where my horse was waiting. I mounted it without a second thought._

_"Erd! Take us home!"_

_A man at the front of the group charged forward on his horse, and I quickly realized that they were all back on their horses and following him. My eyes widened. Who were these soldiers? I had never seen them before, so they must have been new recruits. But that was stupid. There was no way new recruits could possess that kind of teamwork._

_Only they could. And they did._

_They had survived the Titan ambush and had had every right to keep moving forward, leaving me behind. But they hadn't. They had decided to turn around and save me._

_"Are you okay?" the first one, the only woman, called back to me._

_I nodded, unable to find my voice._

_She smiled at me. "Thank goodness. I'm Petra Ral, by the way!"_

_"I can see you flirting a mile away, sweetie. Heh, I'm Auruo Bossard."_

_"Stop harassing her. Hm. I'm Gunther Shulz."_

_"We'll be at the walls soon, guys. Oh, and I'm Erd Gin."_

_"…I'm Levi."_

_And, at that exact moment, I swore I would never ever forget those names._

"So they saved you from the Titan, Papa? That's so cool!"

Levi nodded. "And they eventually became part of a special squad I hand-picked for a very important mission. Do you have any idea what that mission was?"

"Uh-uh."

"To protect Daddy."

The child's eyes lit up, and he looked at Eren excitedly. "So they saved you from Titans, too, Daddy?" he squealed, clapping his hands together.

Eren gave his son a sad smile. "Yes, they did. That was how they died."

The child immediately stopped, and the joyful atmosphere disappeared. "Oh."

Silence.

"They were strong enough to defeat regular Titans without a problem," Eren eventually explained, walking over to his little family and sitting down next to them. "On the mission where they were supposed to protect me though, we ran into a different kind of Titan, one that had human intelligence. It was able to fight like a human, so it knew how to attack and defeat humans. It was horrible and both Daddy and Papa feel very bad about it, but they died honorable soldiers' deaths. They died protecting humanity. It was because of their sacrifices that we were able to move forward."

A calm, pleasant breeze blew across the field.

The child looked up at Eren and smiled. "They're not really dead."

"Oh?"

"They'll only die if we forget them."

Levi immediately wrapped his arms tighter around his son and buried his face in the little boy's shoulder. "You're right," he whispered, fighting to keep his voice from cracking. "You're absolutely right, baby."

* * *

On the walk home, Eren and Levi casually discussed what to make for dinner that night. Their son heard something like "the carrots will go bad if we don't cook them," but he was too busy smiling at the pretty flowers in his hands. He plucked one from the bunch and looked up, when he saw someone he knew.

"Aunt Annie!"

Eren and Levi froze and watched as their little boy innocently ran up to the blonde woman, who cracked a smile at him. She didn't seem to notice his parents. "What are you up to, little man?" she asked, bending down to the child's level.

The little boy grinned. "Papa and Daddy and I picked flowers!"

"I see that. They're very pretty."

"We're making a me-mo…memo…."

"Memorial?"

"Yeah, that! We're making a memorial for Papa's soldier friends."

The breath caught in Annie's throat, and that was when she looked up and saw Eren and Levi standing a few feet away. They were each holding their own small bouquet, and both were staring at her, Levi with quite a bit of malicious intent. Annie's expression stayed neutral as she looked back at him, but a pleasant smile spread across her face as she looked back at the child. "That's very nice of you," she said.

"Aunt Annie?"

"Hmm?

The little boy took the one flower he had plucked from his bundle and placed it behind Annie's ear. Her eyes widened and she reached up to touch the silky petals.

The child smiled wide. "For you! You should smile more often, Aunt Annie. You're very pretty when you smile, prettier than the flowers!"

Annie's face softened at the little boy and his kind, innocent words. She honestly didn't know what to say. His trust in her, his love for her…it was all so touching. No one had ever viewed her as anything less than a threat before, much less as someone who was pretty. The road back to civilian life within the walls had been difficult, but she had done it, and she was slowly starting to win back the trust of her former comrades. None of them had completely forgiven her though, so to see someone look at her like she was truly a friend…it was overwhelming.

She reached out and gently pat his head. "Okay," she said, "but only because the nicest, most handsome little gentleman in all of humanity asked me to."

The child's grin widened, and he giggled a bit.

Eren let out a relieved breath he didn't realize he had been holding, and he smiled a bit, too. "Say good night, sweetheart," he called to his son. "We gotta go do something to those carrots for dinner, and Aunt Annie needs to go, too."

"Okay! Good night, Aunt Annie!" He waved to her as he ran back to his parents. They immediately turned and left, missing Annie waving back.

The remaining walk back was quiet for the most part. When they returned home, Eren took Levi's hand in his. "You okay?"

"…Yeah."

"You sure?"

Levi nodded and that was all the answer Eren needed. He let go of his husband's hand and walked to the kitchen to get a container for the flowers.

Levi glanced out the window at the setting sun. _This world sure is cruel,_ he thought.

He looked back to the kitchen, where his husband and child were arranging the flowers in the prettiest vase they had. The tiniest of smiles graced his lips.

_But it sure is beautiful, too._

END


	5. Naptime Story

Author's Note: I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for the great feedback. Every review, favorite, and follow means a lot to me and inspires me to write more. So thank you. Suggestions for future stories are welcome.

* * *

Eren let out a loud yawn as he shuffled his way into the living room, rubbing his eyes whilst shaking his head a bit. Levi, who was sitting in the plush armchair near the center of the room, glanced up from his book and raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you yawning about?" he said, slight suspicion in his voice.

Eren let his arms drop to his sides. "Sorry," he replied, "didn't sleep well last night."

"Hm, good thing you didn't wake me to complain about it."

Eren snorted as Levi went back to his book. "I know better than to wake you up for something like that." He then looked to the floor, smiled, and knelt down next to their son, who was playing out a scene with his blocks, a few carved wooden figures and small rag dolls, and his favorite plush toy. The child was making small sounds and speaking for all the characters in his little game, changing his voice to adapt for each one. It was beyond adorable. "What are you playing, baby?" Eren asked.

The little boy looked up and grinned. "Some bad Titans are trying to get past the wall, but the Garrison and Survey Corps soldiers are fighting back and winning!" He pointed to the wooden figures placed near a wall he had constructed from his blocks. On the other side of the wall were the rag dolls. "And this," the boy continued, holding up his favorite plush, "is a good Titan who's friends with the people and is gonna help the soldiers fight the bad ones. Just like in the story Papa told me that night you were out, Daddy!"

A snarky grin spread across Eren's face, and he looked back at Levi, who suddenly seemed so absorbed in his book he just couldn't bear to tear his eyes away from it. A few light chuckles escaped Eren's lips before he looked back at his son and pointed at one of the wooden figures. "Who's this one standing on top of the wall?"

"Uncle Armin. He just told everyone the plan to get rid of the bad Titans and keep the town safe."

"Is it gonna work?"

"Yeah, Uncle Armin's plans always work."

Eren nodded and smiled wide. "That they do. What about these over here?" He pointed to a small group of wooden figures.

"That one is Uncle Jean," the child explained, pointing at a specific figure. "He's leading the soldiers into battle. The rest are Uncle Connie, Aunt Sasha, Aunt Ymir, and Aunt Historia. Aunt Mikasa is over here." He pointed at a lone figure settled on top of a fallen rag doll. "She's already beaten most of the bad Titans who got in."

"Sounds like her."

"Uncle Reiner and Uncle Bertholdt are helping Aunt Annie and the rest of the Military Police. I don't have enough figures for them, but it's okay because that means all the people are safe."

Eren nodded at this detail, reminding himself to get more figures for his son's birthday, but then a thought struck him. "Where are Papa and me?"

The little boy suddenly looked up at him, a look of seriousness and slight hurt in his eyes, as if to say, "You really don't know?" He picked his plush toy up and held it against his chest. "You and Papa are staying at home and protecting me."

Eren's eyes widened momentarily, but they quickly softened, and he gently pulled his son to his side. He placed a kiss on the child's head and said, "Of course we are. How silly of me."

The little boy smiled again, and Eren heard a satisfied huff come from Levi.

Then Eren suddenly yawned again, bringing his free hand up to cover his mouth. His son glanced up at him. "Do you need me to tell you the bedtime story, Daddy?"

Eren grinned a wiped away a tear that had managed to escape from the corner of his eye. "Nah, I'm okay, thanks though."

"Go take a nap, you little brat."

Both looked up at Levi, who didn't look up from his book.

Eren raised a brow. "A nap? In the middle of the day? I'm not the child here."

"But you're still a brat. Go."

"I'm a full grown adult! Your husband and the father of your child!"

"Doesn't matter. Once a little brat, always a little brat. Now go."

Eren rolled his eyes. As much as he didn't want to admit it, a nap did sound good. He had tossed and turned for most of the previous night, simply unable to get comfortable. He had been in stark contrast to Levi, who had slept soundly throughout the entire night. And, truly, he did know better than to wake his husband up for such a trivial reason.

Finally, he stood and stretched his arms. When he dropped them, he walked to his husband and nuzzled his nose in the silky, black hair. Levi finally tore his narrowed eyes away from the book and glanced up at the taller man, who replied with a smile and kiss on his temple. "Fine, you win," Eren said, sounding anything but disappointed in his defeat. "Do I get a naptime kiss?"

"No."

"Aw, come on."

"Stop whining. This is why you'll always be a little brat."

Eren pouted and turned towards his son, who was watching the scene with big, curious eyes. The little boy smiled when their gazes met and said, "I'll give you a naptime kiss, Daddy!"

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Eren replied, strolling over to his son and kneeling down. The little boy placed a big kiss on his daddy's cheek, and Eren grinned wide. "Thanks, baby."

"Have a nice nap, Daddy."

Eren nodded and climbed the nearby steps. Levi spoke when he heard their bedroom door close. "Sometimes I wonder which one of you is the baby in this family."

The child giggled. "Me, silly! I'm the baby!"

"If you say so. By the way, you don't think kissing is gross?"

The little boy shook his head. "Kissing means you love each other. That's why you and Daddy kiss, and that's why I kiss you guys. It's a good thing."

Levi found this answer oddly touching, though he would never admit it. He just shrugged and went back to his book.

"Papa?"

"Hm?"

"Will you tell me the story of when you and Daddy kissed the first time?"

Levi halted in turning the pages and thought back to his and Eren's first kiss. It hadn't been under the greatest circumstances, to put it lightly. Memories of pulling Eren out of his Titan form and desperately searching for a heartbeat after a particularly brutal battle resurfaced in his mind. He closed his eyes lightly and tried to will them away, but they stubbornly stayed. No, he couldn't tell his son about his first kiss with Eren, not yet anyway. First they had to break it to their son, as gently as possible, that Eren could transform into a Titan. They had agreed long before their son's birth that they wouldn't tell him until he was old enough to understand, and they had also agreed not to tell him about Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, and Ymir either, as their abilities and pasts were none of the couple's business. All of their friends were in on this promise, too. The only thing that mattered to them was eventually telling their son about Eren. The others could tell him if they felt like it. Truth be told, their son had never even seen a real Titan, and they intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. If anything, his birth had just fueled Eren's desire to annihilate the Titans even more, to create a safe, Titan-free world for his son. The fight wasn't over yet though, so they had agreed to keep their promise until they couldn't anymore. Besides, they wouldn't tell him, only Eren would. It was his burden, not Levi's. Levi was only there to keep the secret until Eren decided it was time.

Levi opened his eyes and met his son's gaze. It took everything in him not to melt under those big, beautiful, green eyes, so he looked back into his book. If he looked into those eyes too long, he would crumble. "…I think you're a little young for that story," he finally said. "I'll tell you when you're a little older. A child kissing his parents is different than two adults kissing."

"Oh."

Thank goodness the child knew not to question Levi when he had made up his mind.

"Um…"

"What?"

"Did you always know you were gonna marry Daddy?"

Now that was an interesting question, one he hadn't heard before, but it at least had a straightforward answer. "No," he replied, flipping another page, "I didn't. Daddy is much younger than I am, so I didn't know him until I was already an adult. I never _knew _I was going to marry him after I met him either. Besides, he asked me, remember?"

The child nodded. "I was just wondering if you had ever kissed anyone before Daddy."

Levi shook his head. "No, Daddy was the first person I kissed, because he was the first person I ever really truly loved."

"Oh, that's good."

"I didn't even believe in love until Daddy came along, even if he doesn't know that."

"Huh?"

Levi sighed and finally put his book down on the nearby coffee table. He then patted his knee, and his son got the message. The little boy walked to him, and Levi picked him up and sat him down on his lap. "This story I'll tell you."

_Levi looked up at the open sky above him, watching the birds fly freely from one end of his vision to another. They were quite graceful as they glided across a background of blue, and Levi wondered momentarily if they were going anywhere in particular. Probably not, but he did want to know what they saw. After all, they were the only living beings who could get over the walls and explore the world however they wanted. Nothing out there was dead set on eating them, at least not for pleasure. If a predator were to eat them, they'd at least be fuel for that predator, continuing the world's cycle of life and death. That was much better than dying for no reason._

_"So? What do you think?"_

_A few female voices caught Levi's attention, and he couldn't help but listen to their conversation._

_"It sounds so romantic."_

_Okay, maybe he could bear not to listen._

_"It's just such a crazy idea, you know? The fact that somewhere out there amongst humanity is the love of your life. That person is walking around right now, minding his or her own business, unknowing of you. And yet, you're going to marry that person. It's insane!"_

_Levi rolled his eyes and rolled over on the grass so his back was facing the girls. Yes, that thought was crazy, crazy and stupid. There was no one out there for him. He had walled off his heart ages ago the same way the human territory had been walled off from the Titans. Nothing could get in, and whatever went out would likely not get back in. He always thought this way, and he had a feeling that he always would._

_And he kept feeling that way. One afternoon, when he was walking through a town, he overheard a young couple walking in the marketplace._

_"I've been waiting for you my whole life," the man said, kissing the top of the woman's head. "I knew I'd find you someday."_

_The woman giggled. "I always knew you were out there."_

_Levi rolled his eyes and kept walking. Ridiculous._

_Another day, a gang of men were harassing a middle-aged woman. Levi chanced upon them as they backed her into a corner and demanded all her things. Not feeling especially heroic but itching for a fight, Levi immediately took down all of them single-handedly and walked off before the woman could thank him face-to-face._

_When she realized he wasn't going to turn back to her, she shouted, "Thank you! May you always have love and happiness in your life!"_

_What nonsense. There was nobody out there for him. Certainly no one who could make him happy all the time._

_As the cold winter passed by, he would find many couples cuddling together as they walked through snow-covered streets. They would say things like, "This time of year would be unbearable if I didn't have you" and "you keep me warm even on the coldest winter's night." Levi tried to ignore them, and, as his birthday and Christmas passed without a single sign of anyone in this world being made just for him, he continued believing he would always be alone._

_Finally, winter ended and the air became warmer. The plants and animals all came back to life, and the snow disappeared from the streets. One morning, when Levi woke, he suddenly found himself thinking that the sun was especially bright today for some reason. It wasn't just the sun either. The sky was bluer than usual. The blooming flowers looked more beautiful than they had during past springs. The wind was more pleasant. The people were more tolerable. It was all very strange to Levi as he walked through a town situated in Wall Maria that day. What was going on?_

_The rest of the day was uneventful until he passed by a small house where a man with a cheerful smile on his face was leaving. Another man, whom Levi assumed lived there, shook the first man's hand and said, "Thank you for your help, Dr. Jaeger, I think my shoulder is better already."_

_"My pleasure. Just go easy on it."_

_"Thanks! And, hey, if you don't mind me asking, uh, you look a lot happier than usual. You haven't stopped smiling all day. What's up?"_

_Dr. Jaeger's smile just widened. "My apologies, I didn't want to bring my personal life into my work, so I tried to hide it, but I guess I can't help it. My wife gave birth this morning! A healthy baby boy!"_

_"Oh my goodness, congratulations!"_

_Levi shrugged as he walked by. No wonder the old man was so happy. Levi didn't understand what the great thing about babies was though. They were messy and required constant time and attention and couldn't communicate and cried at all hours and never obeyed their parents. But, worst of all, they were messy. Yes, the messiness was worth mentioning twice._

_"Ah, thank you," he overheard Dr. Jaeger say, "Carla and I are both thrilled. I can tell he's going to be a handful though. When I say that he's healthy, I mean that he's made it clear that there's nothing wrong with his lungs at least!"_

_Oh yeah, there was no way in hell Levi was ever going to put up with a baby, especially not that Jaeger baby._

_Still, he couldn't deny that the world seemed a little more beautiful that day…and every day after it._

"Why was the world more beautiful, Papa?"

Levi leaned over and pressed his lips against the little boy's head, feeling the silky, black hair that was so much like his own. It was the one obvious thing the child had inherited from him, and Levi hoped it would stay that way. He didn't want his baby to grow into a grumpy, bitter clean freak. No, much better that he grow into a determined, loving, happy man. All the love he had felt on the day of his son's birth came rushing back to him, and he remembered finally realizing what the great thing about babies was.

All that potential. That blank canvas that could be painted will a mix of all sorts of gorgeous colors.

"The world looked more beautiful," Levi replied, "because I finally lived in a world with Daddy."

"But you weren't married…"

"No, but he suddenly existed in the world, so the world looked more beautiful to me. I just didn't make the connection until years later."

"…?"

"You'll understand it better when you're older."

The child shrugged and leaned against Levi chest. "I kinda wanna take a nap now, too, Papa."

A tiny smile appeared on Levi's face, and he carefully clutched the child in his arms as he stood. He bent down to pick up the favorite stuffed toy and gave it to his son. "Then you better have this so you'll be protected while you sleep." The little boy hugged the toy sweetly and let out a little yawn as Levi climbed the stairs to the child's room. When he arrived there, he gently placed the child on his bed and wrapped a nearby quilt around him. He then placed a kiss on the child's forehead and said, "Have a nice nap."

Levi was about to go back downstairs when he passed by the master bedroom and suddenly remembered the other napping baby in the house. He quietly opened the bedroom door and walked inside. Sure enough, Eren was sleeping soundly, his face relaxed and innocent. Even though he was a 6'5" grown man, he was still too cute to Levi.

But Levi would never ever say that.

So he just leaned over his husband and placed a kiss on his forehead, too. "Have a nice nap, little brat. Rest those healthy lungs of yours."

And then he turned and went back downstairs to clean up his son's toys and finish his book.

END


	6. Angel Story

"No."

"Aw, come on…"

"The answer is no, you stupid brat."

"Papa…"

"Absolutely not, young man."

"But Uncle Connie said…!"

"I don't CARE what Uncle Connie said. Papa said no."

The little boy looked up at his papa with those big, beautiful eyes of his, hands clasped together in front of his pouting face. Eren knelt down next to him and also looked up at Levi with those same eyes, to which Levi shut his own gray ones tightly. No, he wasn't going to fall for those gorgeous puppy eyes, not this time. He was a soldier, equipped with both speed and skill, who had slain hundreds of Titans without a problem. Surely he could resist two sets of pretty eyes.

So he opened his own set.

And silently swore.

"Please, Papa?" the little boy begged, his voice syrupy sweet and pathetically adorable. "Please, I really wanna go. Uncle Connie said it was okay."

Eren nodded in agreement. "It won't be for the whole night, and the place is a regular restaurant, so there will be something for him to have, too."

Levi let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed his temples. Tonight was the night before Connie and Sasha's wedding, and the Jaeger family has been invited to Connie's bachelor party. Levi had immediately refused to spend his Friday evening with "a rowdy gang of noisy little drunken brats," but Eren had agreed to come. Now the debate was whether or not their son could go, too. Connie had insisted that the place he was planning to go to was both a restaurant and a bar, so the little boy could be among the adults without objection. Levi, however, didn't see the situation that way and didn't quite trust his old trainees, even though they were all fully grown adults now.

"How about this," Eren said, "he'll come out with me for a little while, and then you can pick him up when you want. He'll stay with me the entire time, and I'll make sure he's occupied . I'll also keep an eye on the guys to make sure none of them go nuts while he's there. What do you think?"

Levi snorted. "I think you're a brat."

"Levi…"

"But at least now you're not talking like a stupid brat."

Eren's eyes brightened. "You mean…?"

Levi sighed heavily, knowing he had lost. Those green eyes and the trust he had in his husband had finally won him over. "Less than an hour," he finally agreed. "No more. And you, young man," He looked down at the boy. "will immediately take a bath and go to bed the moment you get home. Do I make myself clear?"

A huge, bright smile lit up the child's face, and he jumped up and hugged Levi around his leg. "Yes, thank you! Thank you, Papa! I promise I'll be good!"

Levi rolled his eyes. "It's not you I'm worried about." His tone was irritated, but his heart was melting at the sight of his son so happy. When had he gotten so soft?

Eren laughed and stood, leaning over to give his husband a grateful kiss. "Thank you, darling," he said lovingly, smiling against Levi's lips. "I promise I'll make sure everyone behaves while he's there."

"You'd better behave, too. I am not dragging your hungover ass to the ceremony tomorrow."

"I know, I'll be good." Another kiss.

Levi sighed and gently pushed Eren away. "Alright, go already. Get out of here before I change my mind."

"Will do. Let's go, baby."

The little boy jumped up, grabbed his jacket, and said goodbye to his papa. He then took his daddy's hand as the two made their way out of the house and into the chilly autumn night. As soon as they were gone, Levi ran his hands through his hair and groaned. How had things come to this, he wondered. How had he let himself spoil the two of them so much? Shaking his head at how marriage and parenthood had changed him, he made himself a cup of tea, sat down in the living room, and said, "I'm a single father with two babies."

* * *

"WAH! You made it, Eren! The wife finally let you out?"

The whole table of men burst out laughing, Connie in particular cracking up at his own joke. Eren couldn't help but laugh lightly as he sat down in the last free seat, setting his son on his lap. "Keep laughing all you want," he spat playfully, "you're about to go down the same road!"

"It's game over after tonight, buddy," Reiner agreed, slapping Connie on the back. "Enjoy life while you still can. Try to escape every once in a while, okay?" He let out more hearty laughs, inviting the rest of the table to join him.

Armin was the only one who didn't seem amused. "You guys make it sound like he's going to prison."

"Aw, lighten up," the blond said back, turning his attention to his fellow blond. "We're just joking. Obviously, Connie knows what he's getting himself into. And I think it's safe to say Sasha will be an easier-going wife than Levi."

Eren rolled his eyes but kept smiling.

When the roars of laughter started to die down, a waiter arrived at their table. "What can I get you gentlemen this evening?"

"Here's the man of the hour!" Bertholdt said immediately, grabbing Connie by the shoulders and shaking him slightly.

"Getting hitched tomorrow!" Reiner added. "Give him whatever he wants!"

The waiter grinned. "Ah, I got ya. No problem, plenty of snacks and shots for everyone!"

Jean raised his hand. "Plus one extra over here."

The rest of the table cheered at him, joking about how he'd definitely be hungover the next day. Smirking, Jean rolled his eyes at them and reminded them of how well he could hold his liquor. The waiter, still grinning, agreed to the extra order and then walked over to the side of the table where Eren was sitting with his son. The little boy watched him do so but then looked away, feeling a bout of shyness coming on. When it came to people he knew, the child was a social butterfly, but he was shy and quiet around strangers. The rest of the table actually quieted down a bit when they saw the slightly unsure look on his face and how he tried to hide himself in Eren's jacket. It was too cute.

"And what about for the little gentleman?" the waiter asked, smiling kindly at the little boy.

When he didn't respond, Eren prodded him a bit for an answer. "What do you think, baby? Would you like some fruit juice?" He smiled softly when his son nodded and then pointed at the waiter. "Then you need to tell him so he can get it for you."

The child, who had hidden about half his face behind Eren's jacket, fidgeted a little and finally said in a quiet voice, "Um, could I please, uh, have some fruit juice? Please?"

The waiter let out a breathy laugh that he tried and failed to contain. "Of course you can, no problem, Sir," he teased, caught between keeping his kind smile and letting out his laughs at how adorable the little boy was. When he stood and started to head back for the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of everyone else at the table melting at the cuteness.

The men kept chatting for the next few minutes, laughing a lot at their own dumb jokes and teasing Connie about his future with Sasha. Eren, being the only one there who was already married, offered his own advice on how to keep a peaceful household. "Know when to press the issue and when to let it drop," he said. "And remember to agree with her because you're NEVER right!" The men burst out laughing again.

Eventually, the waiter came back with a tray full of snacks, shot glasses, and a separate cup. "Party time, gentlemen!" he said as he set a shot down in front of each one, placing the requested two in front of Jean. Jean picked one glass up and set the other one aside. He was sitting next to Eren and the little boy, and the child noticed this action, so he was caught off guard when the waiter knelt down next him on the other side and placed the cup in front of him. "And one cup of fruit juice for the little gentleman."

The child jumped a bit and immediately grabbed onto his daddy's jacket for support, but he somehow was able to muster up the courage to say thank you. He smiled sweetly at the waiter, who just smiled back. "No problem," he said as he got up and walked away, "I'll put it on your tab!" To which the men burst out laughing again. The little boy didn't see what was so funny though, so he just brought the cup to his lips and started drinking.

Eren watched all this with an amused grin and then held up his glass. "Alright, everyone, to Connie and Sasha!"

The rest picked up their glasses. "To Connie and Sasha!"

"To many happy, healthy years!" Eren added, and he knocked the drink back, prompting everyone else to do the same.

Connie let out a "woo!" as soon as he swallowed the alcohol. "Aw man, that's good." He then started cracking up at the twisted face Armin made, as he obviously didn't find the liquor as delicious. The blond hastily grabbed a roll and shoved it in his mouth to sop up the strong liquid, prompting everyone else at the table to laugh. Even the little boy in Eren's lap giggled.

But he also noticed something while everyone else was distracted. "Uncle Jean?" he said, tugging on the man's sleeve. "Why did you order two drinks if you're not going to drink the second one?"

Jean's eyes widened a bit at the question, and he was thankful that nearly everyone else at the table was still preoccupied with Armin's reaction to the shot. Only Eren had also heard the question, and the brunet gave Jean a surprisingly supportive smile. Jean gave a small smile back and sighed. "That's because it's not for me," he explained to the little boy. "It's for my best friend, my guardian angel."

The child tilted his head. "Guardian angel?"

Jean nodded. "I have a guardian angel watching over me and protecting me, so I order him a drink every time I go out to thank him."

The boy was quiet for a few moments, contemplating this. "How do you know that?" he asked thoughtfully. "Have you ever seen him?"

Jean grinned. "I used to see him a lot, but I don't anymore. I still know he's there though, because he's saved me from Titans many times. Every time I'm about to get hurt, someone lifts me up out of harm's way, higher than the 3D Maneuver Gear could ever take me. To do that, you need wings. Thus, it's gotta be my guardian angel."

The answer seemed to satisfy the child's question and spark his imagination, because he suddenly smiled wide, and his eyes brightened. "That's so cool!" he squealed, clutching his cup in his little hands. "Does he have a name?"

"…Marco."

"Wow!"

"Do you…wanna hear a story about him?"

"Uh-huh, tell me!"

Eren nodded at Jean, signaling that it was okay, and the light-haired man nodded back. "Okay then, this one time…"

_The expedition was going unusually well. We had managed to kill several Titans in record time with minimal casualties. For once, the Survey Corps really had things under control._

_I was the one to make the mistake. I got cocky. We were supposed to keep our wits about us, and we were supposed to stay on guard, but I, of course, had to go and be an idiot and think things were perfectly fine. How wrong I was._

_The Titans seemed to come out of nowhere, but now I know that, if I had been paying attention, I would have seen them coming. I saw Sasha and Historia pointing behind me and beginning to scream to get my attention, but it was too late. A 15-meter class Titan jumped out from the trees and grabbed onto my leg. I cried out and sliced one of my blades against its fingers, but I was in too much of a panic to get a clean cut right through them. Mikasa was underneath me, and she maneuvered herself upwards to help me out, but another Titan, a 7-meter class, appeared near her, blocking her path to me. I tried slashing the blades again, and I got a better cut this time, enough to let me wiggle out of the Titan's grasp before it could bring me too close to its mouth. I fired my gear at another tree to pull myself out of the way, but, just my luck, another 15-class appeared and reached for me._

_What happened next happened so fast that I don't even remember it that well. All of a sudden, I was floating high above the Titans' heads and soaring out of harm's way. I looked down and saw that the Maneuver Gear was still in place, so I couldn't figure out how I had managed to get up so high. It didn't matter though. Below me, Levi killed the 7-meter class that had come after Mikasa, allowing her to find her way to the second 15-meter class one's neck. She got a clean cut just as Levi jumped up and killed the first 15-class one. By the time I made my way back down, the bodies were already burning up._

_I was so thankful to get my feet back on a steady tree branch, and I breathed heavily to try to calm myself. "Jean!" Armin called from below. "Are you okay?"_

_"...Yeah!" I nodded and shakily jumped back down to the ground, where the blond was guiding my horse back to me._

_"KIRSCHTEIN!"_

_My head shot up, and my wide eyes looked into Erwin's narrow, angry ones. I swallowed hard and choked out a "Sir?"_

_"You should know better," the commander shouted. "Don't get comfortable out here! You're lucky you managed to escape; someone up there must really love you!"_

_I inhaled a sharp breath and nodded. "Yes, Sir, my apologies!" I then mounted my horse and followed the rest of the group out of the area and back towards the walls._

_I was uneasy the entire way back though. At the time, I figured it was just due to my shaken nerves, but I also felt like there was someone behind me. I kept looking back but saw no one, not even any Titans in the far distance. Trying to shake the feeling off, I looked ahead and kept following the group._

_Suddenly, I felt arms around my waist. I jerked forward and looked over my shoulder again, but nothing was behind me._

_"It's okay."_

_My head shot straight forward, but no one was speaking to me. I was about to call out when I felt a breeze blow from behind me, but it didn't leave me cold. No, if nothing else, it left me feeling warm._

_And safe._

_"I got you."_

_I was silent the entire way back to the walls, knowing that, if I tried to speak, I'd just cry. There was only one word that managed to escape my lips as my horse galloped forward._

_"Marco…"_

The child suddenly jumped out of Eren's lap and climbed up into Jean's, wrapping his little arms around the man's waist. He snuggled up against his chest and said, "I'm glad you're safe, Uncle Jean, I'd be sad if something bad happened to you."

Jean smiled lightly. "After that, I never got cocky out on an expedition again, so Marco saved me in a second way, too."

"Thank you, Guardian Angel Marco…"

"And that wasn't the only time. He's saved me many other times. Maybe I'll tell you some more another time."

The little boy looked up at Jean with a big smile. "Tell me now!"

A new voice interrupted them. "No, that's enough for tonight."

Everyone looked up to see Levi standing between where Eren and Jean were sitting. The little boy looked up and frowned sadly. "Aw, Papa, can't I stay?"

Levi shook his head. "Absolutely not, you're done for the night. I let you go out, and now it's way past your bedtime. Remember our deal?"

The child was about to protest when he suddenly remembered the deal he had made. Still frowning, he detached himself from Jean and reached up for his papa. Levi took him in his arms and nodded, satisfied. "Good boy. Say good night."

The child did as he was told and waved to everyone at the table, who waved back. "See you tomorrow, little buddy," Jean said, patting the little boy on the head.

"Bye bye, Uncle Jean."

Levi turned to Eren. "Don't stay out too late," he reminded him.

Eren nodded back at him. "I know, I promise." He then also pat his son on the head. "Can I get a good night kiss, baby?" And he smiled when Levi leaned over so their son could plant a kiss on Eren's cheek.

"Alright, that's enough," Levi finally finished. "Let's go, good night." And he promptly left the restaurant with his son in his arms.

Connie grinned as he watched them leave. "Oh yeah," he said, "Sasha and I are definitely having kids."

* * *

A few minutes into the walk back home, Levi spoke. "Did you have a good time?"

The child nodded, resting his head against his papa's shoulder. "I had fruit juice, and Uncle Jean told me a story about his guardian angel named Marco."

Levi let a tiny smile form on his lips. "Did he now?"

The little boy nodded again and then yawned. He hadn't noticed while he was at the restaurant, but he was actually quite tired. Bedtime was starting to sound good to him. "He said that Marco has saved his life a lot," he murmured quietly, rubbing his eyes with his little fist. "Papa, do we have angels watching over us?"

Levi was about to respond when a gust of wind suddenly blew from behind. He stopped, gasped a little, and turned, but all he saw were the swirling autumn leaves gently falling to the ground. What really surprised him though was how the wind made him feel. Autumn air was chilly, but he found himself feeling warm and comforted. He looked down at his son, who had a sweet smile on his face as he snuggled up closer to his papa's chest.

"Papa," the little boy said drowsily, "it feels like a bunch of people are hugging me."

And Levi couldn't deny that he felt the same. He nodded and placed a kiss on the child's head. "Those are our guardian angels," he said. "They watch over you and me. Daddy has one, too. She watches over him and you. So you have five angels keeping you safe."

The child wiggled a bit in his grasp. "Yay…"

Levi's smile widened a bit, and he continued the walk back home. Somehow, he got the feeling that everyone in the Jaeger household would dream of beautiful angels that night.

END


	7. Wedding Story, Part 1

Author's Note: Again, thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate it! Now witness the wedding of Humanity's OTP. I watch way too much Say Yes to the Dress.

* * *

If all weddings were this tedious, then the little boy sitting on the bench against the wall watching the adults run past one another never wanted to attend another one ever again. The day was already one of the most boring on record, and nothing had even happened yet.

To begin, Eren and Levi had woken their son up early that morning, and the child was still a bit crankier than usual due to his late night at Connie's bachelor party the day before. Breakfast was rushed and the child found himself sad that his fathers didn't sit at the dining table with him like they usually did. As soon as he had finished his meal, Levi had washed him thoroughly from head to toe despite the fact that he had had a bath the night before. When dry, Eren had dressed him in stiff, restricting clothes that, yes, looked nice, but weren't all that comfortable. And he hadn't even been dressed in the whole outfit yet! When all three had been fed, cleaned, and dressed, they all quickly ran to the building where the ceremony and reception for Connie and Sasha would be taking place. And now there was even more prep to do. The rest of the men hadn't been as clean and proper as the men of the Jaeger family, so Levi had ordered all of them to wash and dress again, including the groom.

Now all of the men were clean and presentable, but there was still plenty of prep to be done before the ceremony, and the little boy was annoyed and bored, not a good combination for any child. He was fidgeting in his fancy clothes, trying to loosen the collar of his shirt every so often, only to have either his papa or daddy rush to fix it.

"I don't wanna wear these dumb clothes!" the little boy finally whined as Eren tried to button him back up for the umpteenth time. His voice was so loud that all the activity in the men's prep room stopped momentarily, and tears began to well up in his eyes. "I don't like this, nu-uh! First I have to get up early, and then I have to eat alone, and then I have to have another bath-!"

"What if you had sweat-!"

"I WASN'T DIRTY, PAPA! And now I'm wearing these dumb clothes, and I'm bored and lonely and…!"

The child tried to finish his rant, but fat tears were already running down his face. The room was silent save for his crying, and Eren immediately let go of his collared shirt. "I'm sorry, baby," he said, cupping his son's face. "I know, this isn't fun, but I promise that we'll have a lot of fun later. There will be music and dancing and food and all sorts of fun things to do, but right now we have to get ready for the ceremony."

"The ceremony is the boring part," Connie added. "I even think it's boring, and I'm the one getting married! But then, once it's done, we all get to go and have fun at a big party. Doesn't that sound great?"

Tears stopped rolling down the child's cheeks, but he still sniffed and rubbed his eyes out of frustration. "I know," he mumbled. "I just…"

"I know, you're tired and bored," Eren said gently, wiping the last of the tears away with his thumbs. "But you've been such a good boy all day, so please just hold out a little while longer, okay?"

"Hey, Eren," Bertholdt said, "you and Levi have both done so much today, and you guys aren't even in the wedding. Why don't you two take a break and spend some time with the kid. We got this." He smiled when the rest of the men nodded in agreement.

Levi let out a sigh and shrugged. "That's not a bad idea. It's been a long morning, and it's going to be an even longer day. Come on, let's get some fresh air." He lightly pat Eren on the shoulder, and his husband pulled their son into his arms. The little boy immediately wrapped his arms around his daddy's neck and rested his head on his shoulder, thankful to have some affection and attention at last. When he was secure, Eren followed his husband out of the room and down the hall. Levi stopped at a door and held it open so the three could go outside and breathe in the cool autumn air.

It was just what the little boy needed. He quickly relaxed, his earlier feelings of frustration disappearing with the calm wind carrying the fallen leaves away. His arms tightened around Eren's neck in a hug. "Thank you, Daddy, Papa, I'm sorry I yelled and cried."

Eren soothingly pat the child's back. "You don't need to apologize, baby, it's okay. It hasn't been the easiest morning. You've been such a good boy all day though, so we should have brought something to keep you entertained."

"Tomorrow we'll all spend the day together," Levi casually added. "We'll play with you all day."

The child finally smiled. "Thank you, Papa."

Eren smirked at the thought of Levi joining in playtime. That was usually another one of Eren's parenting jobs, on the list with bedtime stories and cheering up during difficult times. None of those things were Levi's strong suit, as he was much better at cleaning the house, doing the laundry, and disciplining his two babies. But Eren liked this side of his husband, the side Levi rarely showed even to his family, the side that wanted nothing more than to see their son smile.

After a few more minutes of silence, the little boy in Eren's arms tugged on Levi's jacket sleeve. "Papa," he said, "when you and Daddy got married, did you wear a white dress like Aunt Sasha will?"

Eren immediately clamped his free hand over his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing, especially when he noticed the look of horror on Levi's face. That look quickly turned to malice though when he twisted around to glare at his husband. Eren immediately slammed his hand down to his side, his previous laughter disappearing in a flash.

Levi groaned and rolled his eyes, face softening much to Eren's relief. "No, I didn't wear a dress; I wore a suit."

"Was it white?"

"…Yes."

Instead of giggling, the little boy just smiled at the response, still resting his head on his daddy's shoulder. "I bet you and Daddy both looked really beautiful."

A flush of pink appeared on both Eren's and Levi's cheeks as the two recalled seeing each other for the first time on their own wedding day. In that exact moment, they had been the only two people left on earth. No Titans, no other humans, no animals, just them. It had been a truly magical moment, seeing each other dressed in their best and glowing with excitement and love. Each had seared the image of the other into his memory to keep until the end of time.

Eren smiled, pink still staining his cheeks. "Papa was so beautiful, the most beautiful I had ever seen him at the time."

"I'm going in," Levi abruptly announced, walking in a straight line back to the door. "Sorry, I just, I-I'm cold. And those morons are probably messing themselves up. Someone needs to babysit your brat friends."

When Levi was back inside the building, Eren finally let out the laugh he had been holding in. His son looked up at him, obviously confused, but Eren just grinned at him. "Don't worry, Papa's just shy. Seriously though, he was so beautiful. Let me tell you…"

_The morning had been nuts. People had spent so much time running back and forth, making sure that everything was in order. Now there were only a few minutes left before the ceremony, and I couldn't wait. I wanted to see Levi so badly; I just wanted to be married to him already!_

_I fidgeted in my chair as Armin brushed out my hair for what seemed like the thousandth time. He was determined to make it less of a mess than it usually was, but it stubbornly refused. Oh well, I didn't care. "Armin," I finally said, "Armin, thanks and all, but it's really okay."_

_Armin sighed heavily. "I just think that Levi would like it better if it was neat, you know? Considering what a neat freak he is."_

_I laughed. "It doesn't bother him as long as it's clean."_

_Finally, Armin but the brush down and smiled. "Okay, you win," he agreed. "Just, I'm sorry, Eren, but I'm just so excited for you! You're getting married! Yeah, you're young and all, but you've found the person you're destined to spend the rest of your life with, and I'm just so happy for you. Finding love like that is a miracle!"_

_Behind him, Mikasa smiled sweetly and finished setting a flower in place on a head piece. "Eren," she said, prompting me to turn around. She looked directly at me and walked over, placing the flower crown on my head and letting the short veil fall down my back. When it was settled in place, she took a step back and smiled wider. "Perfect."_

_I couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed at the decoration. Since we were both male, Levi and I had decided to wear flower crown veils with our suits to signify that we were one and the same now. Still, I smiled as I felt the light, airy material tickle my upper back and neck. I was going to be Levi's partner in life. We were going to care for each other in the way any husband and wife would. We would fulfill both roles for each other. It was a wonderful thought, and it stained my cheeks a light pink._

_Mikasa's smile softened. "Eren," she said quietly, "you look really beautiful."_

_"Thanks. I hope Levi thinks so."_

_"He will."_

_I looked up at her._

_"And he'll take care of you, too. I know you'll be happy together."_

_There was a sort of wisdom in Mikasa's eyes that I couldn't identify at the time, so I just stood and embraced her. She returned the action. "Thank you, Mikasa." And she squeezed me lovingly._

_Somewhere along the line of their relationship, the tension had dissipated between Levi and my sister. I think she had finally realized that everything he had ever done, even beating me up in the courtroom during our early days, was all for my protection in the end. I didn't know for sure though, and I still don't know exactly what changed their relationship. I wasn't going to question it though. They were getting along, and that was all that mattered._

_A knock at the door broke us up. "Eren," came Erwin's voice, "it's time."_

_I exhaled a deep breath and grinned at Armin and Mikasa. "Here we go!"_

_And, with that, I closed my eyes and let them guide me out of the room. I heard Erwin join us and murmur something about how nice I looked. I wasn't really paying attention, because I could only think about Levi and how I was about to marry him. I couldn't wipe the gigantic, stupid smile off my face. My expression probably made me look like a Titan, but I didn't care. I just kept walking forward until I felt Mikasa hold me still, preventing me from taking another step. My heart started drumming in my chest. Oh god, Levi was right in front of me. I squeezed my eyes shut for fear of opening them too quickly. I heard Erwin laugh and direct Armin, Mikasa, and Hanji (who must have led Levi out there) into another room. He then said, "Alright, you two, open your eyes when you hear the door close."_

_I sucked in a breath and heard Levi's hitch. Erwin just chuckled quietly and slowly eased the door shut. The moment I heard it click, my eyes flew open, and I immediately brought my hands up to my face to hide my blushing cheeks, overly goofy smile, and teary eyes._

_Levi was the most beautiful I had ever seen him. He wore a crisp, clean, white suit and tie with a black button-down shirt, just like we had agreed. It was tailored to him perfectly, hugging every curve and showing off his hard-earned physique. His skin was porcelain-smooth, though his cheeks were a rosy pink, and I suddenly realized that he was smiling wide and also had his hands up to his mouth in an attempt to hide his joyful expression. His gray eyes were glossy and shining to the point that I thought they were made of silver. His jet black hair was silky as ever, kept in place by a sweet, delicate crown of white flowers, the same as mine, complete with a short veil dangling down his back._

_I lost it. I broke down crying and embraced him, to which he returned the gesture. He clutched at my arms and shoulders, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. Oh god, this creature of perfect was about to become my husband. The thought alone was enough to make me bawl._

_"Hey, stop it," he said gently, looking up at me and brushing my tears away. "Enough, you'll stain your suit."_

_"Sorry," I whispered back, wiping the threatening tears away from his eyes, "I'm just so happy. You look beautiful…gorgeous! Stunning and-"_

_"Quiet, you little brat. You're gonna make me start." And he wiped his own eyes, holding back an embarrassed laugh._

_I smiled at him and wiped my face one more time. When we were composed enough, we each hooked one arm around the other's and opened the doors to the ceremony room with our free hands. We had decided early on that we would walk each other down the aisle to show that we were equal in our relationship, that we were two halves of one whole._

_I couldn't get to the altar fast enough. I just wanted to get up there and be married already! But I restrained myself, and we took our time. We savored the moment. It was a small ceremony, since we had only invited our closest friends (and my one family member), so the walk was short, but it still felt too long to me._

_Finally, we made it up to the altar and unlinked our arms so we could join hands. I barely listened to anything the officiant said, all my attention focused on Levi. Oh god, only a few more minutes and we would be married. THIS WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING._

_It took me a moment to realize the officiant had asked me if I'd have Levi for my husband. I jerked a bit out of surprise and embarrassment, causing snickers to arise from the crowd (dammit, Jean), but then said, "I do."_

_After a few more moments, I continued, "I, Eren, take you, Levi, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live." And, with that, I slipped the ring onto Levi's finger. OH GOOD GOD I HAD DONE IT. I HAD SAID MY VOWS._

_Levi said his own vows and slipped the ring onto my finger, but I was so deliriously happy and drunk on euphoria that I barely registered it. My knees were growing weak, and I was shaking. I hoped that Levi didn't notice my sweaty palms, but I think he did because he smirked up at me, silently calling me a little brat. It was a term of endearment nowadays though, and I accepted his jab as my hands tightened around his, and he squeezed back._

_"Eren and Levi," the officiant finished with a smile, "in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your commitment to each other by these vows, the joining of your hands, and the giving of these rings, by the authority vested in me by the King, I now pronounce you married. You may seal your vows with a kiss."_

_And we did. Oh, we did. The crowd around us exploded with cheers and applause, but I couldn't hear any of it. All I could hear was Levi's breathing and soft moaning, and all I could feel were his hands on my face and his heartbeat running wild against my chest._

_Oh god, we were married. At last._

"Eren!"

Eren jumped at the sudden voice and turned to see Armin standing in the doorway. The blond grinned and said, "C'mon, we gotta take our seats. The ceremony is about to start!" And he rushed down the hall to catch up with the rest of the guys.

Smiling, Eren looked down at his son and bounced him in his arms. "And I'll bet that's how Uncle Connie and Aunt Sasha feel right now. I bet they're so excited to get married they can barely stand it. So, while the morning's been tough, baby, the rest of the day is gonna be great."

The little boy looked up at him and smiled back. "I was imagining how Papa looked when you were describing him, Daddy. It sounds like that was the most beautiful he's ever looked."

Eren's smile softened and he pressed his lips against the child's head, burying his nose in that same silky, black hair that belonged to his beloved husband. Out of all the physical traits their son could have inherited from Levi, Eren was glad he had received his hair. It was so pretty, much nicer than the chocolate brown mess that sat upon his head. That black hair and those green eyes were a constant reminder that he was theirs, both of theirs, as in, he had come from the two of them, and Eren couldn't imagine a greater expression of love.

"The second-most beautiful," he barely whispered.

"Hm?"

"Ah, that's another story for another day," Eren said, standing up straight again. "Come on, baby, let's go meet up with Papa and find our seats so Uncle Connie and Aunt Sasha can get married!"

And, for the fist time that day, the child was excited. "Yay!" he squealed, clapping his hands together as Eren walked them back inside. "Time to live happily ever after!"

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. Wedding Story, Part 2

"Presenting now, for the first time ever as husband and wife, Mr. Connie Braus-Springer and Mrs. Sasha Braus-Springer!"

The reception room burst into loud, excited applause as the newlyweds entered, huge smiles on their faces and a skip in their step. They waved to their friends as they held hands, looking much more like their usual goofy selves than they had during the rather serious ceremony. Connie's tie was already loose, and the first two buttons of his shirt had already been undone. Sasha's hair had been pulled from its perfect bun, and half a piece of bread was hanging from her lips, signaling that perhaps she had been more desperate than anyone to get the reception started. Her father was sitting at a table in the corner of the room, and he rolled his eyes at his daughter, amused. Some things never changed.

After a few more seconds of applause, the newlyweds walked hand-in-hand to the dance floor. Sasha made sure to swallow the piece of bread before allowing Connie to hold her flush against his body. He took one of her hands in his and placed his other hand at the small of her back while she placed her other hand on his shoulder. Soon the music started, and the two began to dance.

The littlest member of the Jaeger family watched in awe from his seat at the table. Now that the ceremony was over, he had been allowed to unbutton the first two buttons of his own shirt, and he was feeling much more physically comfortable. But he was also much more emotionally comfortable. His papa and daddy had gotten married because they loved each other, and now two more people were married because they loved each other. The idea that two of his friends loved each other as much as his daddy and papa loved each other made his heart happy.

And the dance was a joy to watch. Connie and Sasha were surprisingly graceful as they stepped together to the slow, romantic music. It was a simple dance, but it was full of love. Even the child could see this, but he was most enamored with Sasha's wedding gown and the way it moved and spun with her. Much like the dance, it was simple. The top half resembled a long-sleeved t-shirt, and the bottom half floated away from her in an A-line style. The only real decoration were the adorable buttons that reached from the top of her back all the way down to the very bottom of the skirt. Never having been one for it, she wore no jewelry, but she didn't need it. She shone with her own radiance, no doubt overjoyed at finally being married to her best friend.

When the first dance ended, Sasha's father joined the couple on the dance floor, and Connie respectfully backed away so the man could have one last dance with his daughter. Only Sasha noticed it, but there was a tear in the old man's eye.

"What do you think, baby?" Eren whispered into his son's ear, a smile on his face.

The little boy glanced at his daddy for just a moment before gluing his eyes back on the dance floor. The smile on his own face was one of fascination. "Aunt Sasha looks really beautiful."

"She does, doesn't she?"

When the father/daughter dance ended, Connie reappeared on the dance floor and grinned up at Sasha's father. The man silently placed Sasha's hand in her new husband's, knowing that it truly was time to let her go. Still silent, he left the dance floor and went back to his seat, allowing the newlyweds to greet their friends and make their welcoming toast.

Finally, the food started coming out. Sasha and Connie ran to their table, just as eager to start eating as they had been to get married. After all, since it was a wedding, there was bound to be plenty of good food!

When the first course came to the Jaeger family's table, Eren placed a roll on the child's plate. "Daddy?" the little boy began as Eren ripped the bread apart for him. "Did you and Papa have a first dance at your wedding, too?"

Levi snorted. "I don't think you could call it a dance. Daddy's clumsy."

Eren pouted at his husband. "Not my fault I didn't know how to dance at the time."

The raven snorted again. "No problems working 3D Maneuver Gear and rushing to the battlefield, jumping from point to point to slash at Titans' necks. But four basic dance steps? Oh no, too hard, can't do it." He smirked a little at the deepening pout on his husband's face.

The little boy giggled at the thought of his daddy tripping over his own two feet during their first dance in front of all their friends. Eren caught this shrugged. "Just wait until we're invited to dance, too," he said. "I've gotten better."

Soon Mikasa made her toast as the Maid of Honor, and Reiner made his as the Best Man. The main course was served quickly afterwards, and everyone marveled at the small pieces of meat on all the plates. Connie and Sasha had really poured a lot of money into the event so that everyone could share in the food that they loved so much. The main course lasted a little longer than expected, as everyone took the time to savor each morsel.

And then the fun started. The music became fast and catchy, and the dance floor was open to everyone. Eren immediately took his son's hand and led him out, Levi opting out of the "fun." He just watched as the brats made fools of themselves, but, oh, they did look like they were having a good time. The wide smiles on their faces were the best indicators, and Levi found himself smiling that his son was finally feeling better.

After a little while, the child returned to the table for a break. He went to sit in his own seat until Levi patted his knee, signaling that he was inviting him to sit in his lap. Smiling, the little boy went to his papa's side and snuggled up to him when he was situated.

Levi looked down at the boy with a gentle smile. "Having fun?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Good."

"Papa?"

"Hm?"

"Daddy told me about when you two got married while we were outside. He said that you were really beautiful."

Levi hated the pink flush he could feel spreading across his cheeks. His husband had the worst kind of control over him. Forget controlling Titans, Eren had the ability to open the floodgates on Levi's emotions, and that was the most dangerous power of all. Gone were the days of stoical and cynical Levi, at least to him. To his friends, he was still that same intimidating, steely-eyed captain, Humanity's Strongest Soldier, from years ago. But, to Eren and their son, he was a loving, devoted (if a little strict about house rules) husband and parent. The titles made Levi's head spin, and he often wondered how he had allowed them be applied to him. Curse Eren Jaeger and the power of his love.

Levi sighed and knitted his brows together, hoping to fight the blush. "Well, Daddy looked handsome, too," he finally replied, voice a bit strained. He let out a frustrated sigh and hugged his son a little tighter. The little boy looked up at him, an expectant glint in his eye, and he shifted uncomfortably. "What?" he finally continued. "You want me to tell you my point of view of our wedding?"

The child nodded eagerly, green eyes sparkling with excitement.

And, at that moment, Levi knew he had lost. He let out another long sigh and nodded. "Alright, whatever you want…"

_The night before our wedding, I stood on top of Wall Maria. We had been able to recapture it, and, thanks to what we had found in Grisha Jaeger's basement, the Titan population was starting to decline. They weren't all gone yet, and we would need to go out on several more expeditions spanning the course of several more years, but the Survey Corps had never been in better shape, and humanity had never been in a better position to recapture its land. It was the perfect time to get married, to look forward to and be excited about the future. All I could think about was all that unexplored territory and how Eren was the only person I wanted to explore it with._

_Also, I had to admit, I wanted to know what this "ocean" looked like._

_"Nervous?"_

_I turned and saw none other than Mikasa Ackerman standing behind me, gear strapped on and a smile on her face._

_I shrugged. "Not really. Just wanted to look out here."_

_We stood in a comfortable silence for a long time, just staring out at the unknown world together. Since it was nighttime, there were no Titans roaming about, so we felt secure, as if we humans were actually in control of the land. A great feeling really, but still a dream for the time._

_Eventually, Mikasa spoke. "I know you'll protect Eren."_

_I glanced at her, silently questioning her statement. How did she know that for a fact? I had beaten the crap out of him in front of her, in front of all the high-ranking officers in the Survey Corps, the Garrison, and the Military Police, including the people who managed all three branches. Hadn't Armin once mentioned that she had threatened to kill me if I laid another finger on her bratty brother? I was curious as to why she suddenly felt as though I would protect him._

_She looked at me knowingly and said, "You and I have experienced the pain of losing people we love. That was why I put so much energy into protecting Eren when we were kids."_

_I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure he gave you a workout, the little dumbass."_

_She cracked a smirk. "Yeah, but you know what that's like, too. How many times have you saved him?"_

_And then I realized what she was saying. Both of us had lost many of the people most important to us. For her, Eren was her only family left in the entire world. For me, he was the symbol of a new family, and she would be getting a new family out of our marriage, too. But, most importantly, she knew I would protect him because I, too, had lost too many other people._

_I placed my fist over my heart in a salute._

_"And I'll continue to save him every time he screws up."_

_She was grinning now, and she returned the gesture._

_"Good luck keeping up."_

_The next day, I dressed myself, not trusting Hanji or Erwin to arrange my outfit properly. I only asked Erwin for his opinion on how I looked, and he nodded in satisfaction. Hanji fixed my flower crown so it was sitting snugly on my head without ruining my hair. She had this stupid grin on her face, like she was the one getting married._

_I couldn't smile. While my meeting with Mikasa the night before had been reassuring, it had also reminded me too much of all the people I had lost. I had my head down as Hanji arranged my hair, and, when she asked me to look up, I couldn't stop the words spilling from my lips as my eyes met hers._

_"I wish Petra, Auruo, Erd, Gunther, and Mike could be here."_

_Her smile disappeared. She brought her hands back to herself and looked at me as though she was about to cry. Letting out a sigh, she finally spoke, "I do, too."_

_Those were the last words we spoke to one another before the ceremony. Erwin left the room to fetch Eren, and Hanji led me outside the ceremony space to wait for him. I wanted to cry the entire time, but the tears wouldn't come._

_And then I heard footsteps, and I realized that Eren was standing in front of me. Erwin laughed quietly and directed Hanji, Armin, and Mikasa (I assumed that the two of them had been fixing the brat up) into the ceremony space. He followed shortly after and said, "Alright, you two, open your eyes when you hear the door close."_

_My breath hitched and I heard Eren suck a breath in. Erwin laughed again and slowly slid the door shut. The damn tease just loved to torture us, and I could picture the smug smirk on his face._

_After what seemed like forever, the door clicked shut, and I opened my eyes. My hands flew up to my face, my eyes went wide, and I could feel the tears started to fight their way out, this time for an entirely different reason. For a brat, Eren cleaned up rather nicely. He was dressed in a black suit and tie with a white button-down shirt, just like we had agreed. He had already had a massive growth spurt, hitting 6'1" with no signs of slowing down, and the suit made him look even taller and leaner, but, height difference be damned, he looked gorgeous. A crown made of white flowers complete with a veil that matched mine adorned his head. His chocolate brown hair had been tousled to perfection, and his eyes were bright and glossy. Oh god, I hadn't thought his eyes could be anymore beautiful than they already were, but I had been dead wrong. At that moment, I thought that, if the ocean was a body of water so massive no human could see its end, I wanted its water to be the same color as Eren's eyes, the most beautiful color that could ever be. It took me a moment to realize that tears were freely flowing from those incredible eyes._

_"Hey, stop it," I said, brushing his tears away. "Enough, you'll stain your suit."_

_"Sorry," he whispered back, wiping the threatening tears away from my eyes. "I'm just so happy. You look beautiful…gorgeous! Stunning and-!"_

_"Quiet, you little brat. You're gonna make me start." I wiped my own eyes, holding back an embarrassed laugh. Why did he always have to say such wonderful things?_

_The rest happened in something of a blur. I remember Eren taking my arm in his and the two of us walking down the aisle, but I don't remember anything else clearly until he said, "I do." When the officiant asked me if I'd have Eren as my husband, I repeated the words._

_I waited patiently for Eren to say his vows, and, actually, he managed to get through them rather nicely. When he finished, the officiant prompted me to say the same._

_"I, Levi, take you, Eren, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live." And I slipped the ring on his finger. He squeezed my hands in response, and, oh god, they were disgustingly sweaty but in an endearing sort of way. I smiled up at him and gently squeezed back. Yes, I was happy, truly happy._

_The officiant's finalizing line was lost on me as Eren pulled me flush against him and into a breathtaking kiss, one that made my heart run wild. I think our friends were applauding, but I couldn't hear anything except for his quiet moans and my own blood rushing through my veins._

_We were married. At last. And I would protect Eren forever._

"Levi!"

Eren gently shook his husband's shoulder, smiling wide and slightly out of breath from all the dancing. Levi glanced up at him, snapping back to reality, and raised a brow. "What is it? I was telling a very important story, in case you didn't notice."

Eren laughed. "You've been doing that a lot more lately. You're taking my job, you know."

"You can tell me stories, too, Daddy!"

Eren let out another laugh and nodded. "Thanks, baby. Anyway, Levi, Sasha and Connie invited all the couples to dance with them. So," He held a hand out and bowed respectfully, still grinning like an idiot, "may I have this dance?"

Levi rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the small smile appearing on his face. He set their son down in a free seat and said, "Be right back, baby, watch Daddy mess up." And, with that, he took Eren's hand, rose from his seat, and followed his husband to the dance floor. Eren wrapped an arm around his waist and took one of his hands in his free one. Levi comfortably rested his free hand on Eren's chest (since he couldn't reach his shoulder), and the two began to dance, completely lost in the music, the movement of their feet, and one another. Ah yes, Eren had improved since their own first dance, but the dance was still overly simple, a beginner's dance. Ah, whatever, they hadn't had many chances to be romantic with one another since the birth of their child, so they savored the moment, Connie and Sasha and Ymir and Historia sharing the floor with them.

Their child, on the other hand, was much more interested in the people not on the dance floor. He glanced at Jean who, sure enough, had a full glass of wine next to his own half-finished glass on the table. "It would be weird if he danced with Guardian Angel Marco since nobody can see him," the little boy mused, his eyes traveling over to Mikasa, who was too absorbed in watching the couples dance to care about the fact that she wasn't. He then glanced at Reiner and Bertholdt. While the blond looked like he wanted to dance, the brunet next to him seemed way too embarrassed and nervous, so they had settled with just sitting closely next to each other.

However, the person next to them was a different story. Annie seemed distracted, glancing away from the dance floor every so often. The child followed her momentary gazes, and they landed on none other than his Uncle Armin! The blond was too wrapped up in watching the couples dance, much like Mikasa, so he missed Annie's glances, but the little boy caught every single one of them. Without a moment to lose, he dashed to the table and prompted Armin to lean down.

"Hm? What is it, sweetheart?" the blond asked. He listened to the child's whispered reply, and a blush spread across his face. "…Really?" And he gulped when the little boy nodded. He glanced over at Annie, who quickly averted her gaze to the dance floor, mentally hoping he hadn't seen her. She wasn't prepared when he shakily walked over to her and asked her to dance.

Satisfied with his work at seeing the two blonds walk out to the dance floor, the child walked over to Reiner and Bertholdt, who stared at him in awed surprise. The little boy just grinned and said, "Maybe Uncle Armin and Aunt Annie will get married next!"

It certainly didn't help that Annie caught the bouquet.

* * *

Eren and Levi walked home hand-in-hand that night, their child already peacefully asleep in Eren's arms. The night was quiet and a little chilly, and the moon was full, casting a pale glow on the earth. A perfect wedding night really. It actually reminded Levi of his own wedding night, and he was thankful it was so dark that Eren couldn't see the blush spreading across his face. If their wedding had been great, their wedding night had been…_amazing_.

"Were you telling him about our wedding?"

Levi perked up at his husband's voice and looked up at him, just able to make out the soft smile on his face. He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, he said you told him about it, so he wanted to hear about it from my point of view."

Eren sighed, too. "He's growing up too fast."

"Shut up, brat, don't remind me."

"Remember, we promised we'd play with him all day tomorrow."

"Don't remind me of that either."

"You were the one who promised it!"

"…Daddy?"

"Oh crap," Eren whispered, detaching the hand holding Levi's so he could rub his son's back, lulling him back to sleep. "Sorry, baby, I didn't mean to wake you," he said gently. "Go back to sleep."

The little boy nodded and rested his head back on his daddy's shoulder. "I was…imagining…how you looked…when you married Papa," he mumbled drowsily, already falling back into unconsciousness. "Really…beautiful…" And he was suddenly asleep again.

Eren let out a sigh of relief and brought his hand back down to Levi's. He expected a dirty look from his husband, but Levi didn't do anything except lovingly squeeze his hand, reassuring him that it was okay since the child was asleep again.

_"Daddy was indeed beautiful at our wedding, but he was more beautiful another time," _he thought as they finally approached their home.

But that was another story for another day. First, sleep. Next, playtime.

END


	9. Playtime Story

Author's Note: I've been getting two specific requests a lot lately. The first one is to reveal Eren and Levi's son's name. First off, let me say that this started out as a one-shot I had no intention of continuing, so I didn't come up with a name. Now, at last, I do have a name in mind, but I've already written so many chapters where their son is nameless, and I kind of like the way it's going. So I've decided that I'll reveal his name in the final chapter as a way to close the story.

The other request I've been getting a lot is to see Levi while he's pregnant. I will write this at some point, I promise. Whether it's in a flashback as one of the stories or in the present where their son gets a sibling, I won't tell. No spoilers!

* * *

_I have to get out of here._

_I have to run, but I don't know where to run to._

_I have to escape, but I don't know any safe places nearby._

_I have to survive, but I don't know how long I can last._

_I start running the best I can. My legs are trembling, and I often stumble, but I don't stop. There are many obstacles in my way, blocking my path and making it more difficult to traverse. If I had my gear, I could latch onto these things, the various trees, rocks, and abandoned homes, but I lost it long ago. It's a miracle I've been able to last this long as it is._

_I'm scared. I want to go home, but I don't know which way my home is._

_I keep running. I'm frantic, panicked, and not thinking clearly. I am the prey, and they are the hunters. I could be falling right into a trap. I could be surrounded right now, even though I don't see any of them. Do I scream? Do I cry out and hope someone finds me? But what if one of them finds me first? I'll surely die._

_I don't want to die._

_I stop short and try to hear above my own heavy breathing. Something is out there, and it's close. I feel eyes on me, but I don't know from where they're looking. I turn my head to the right, nothing. I turn it to the left, nothing. I turn straight ahead, nothing. I look up, nothing. I look down, nothing._

_I turn around._

_The Titan lunges at me._

_And I scream._

"GRRRAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGH!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Eren swooped down and grabbed his son in his big hands, immediately hoisting the squirming, still-screaming child in the air. He suddenly hugged the little boy against him and moved his fingers all over the little body, causing the child to burst out laughing in between his loud squealing. Eren then opened his mouth, covered his teeth with his lips, and started alternating between kissing and nipping gently at the little boy's face.

"Nom nom nom!" he growled playfully. "Yummy! Yummy yummy little human baby!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! NO NO NO!" the little boy squealed, laughing hysterically while trying to escape his daddy's clutches. Eventually, Eren loosened his grip on the child, and the little boy wriggled his way out of his grasp. The child fell onto his little bed, immediately jumped up, and ran out of his room and down the stairs, still screaming joyfully. He turned the corner into the kitchen, where Levi was walking in through the back door with a fresh basket of clean laundry. When he saw the boy running at him, the man set the basket on the floor and held his foot out. His son tripped and fell face-first into the white, fluffy sheets, effectively shutting him up and stopping the escape run at the same time.

Levi sighed, satisfied. "Man, I am getting good at this 'parent' thing."

The little boy lifted his head, cheeks flushed pink, breath heavy, and mouth smiling. "Hi, Papa!"

"Let me guess, the Tickle Titan got you again."

"Uh-huh!"

Levi sighed a second time, this time not so satisfied. Instead, he was more than a little annoyed. The day after Connie and Sasha's wedding, he and Eren had played with their son for the whole day, as promised. Playtime had started out simple enough with building a replica of Wall Maria with blocks, playing house with rag dolls, and going outside to kick and throw a bouncy ball around, but it had gone downhill for Levi the moment Eren had decided that it was time to play Survey Corps expedition. In what was probably humanity's greatest example of dramatic irony ever, he had taken on the role of "the Tickle Titan," and it was up to Levi and their son to slay him or face his ticklish wrath of hugs and kisses. Levi had rolled his eyes and glared at him in the most unamused, unimpressed way ever, as if to say, "Are you serious right now?" But the look of excitement and glee on his son's face had stopped him, and he had reluctantly agreed to play.

Of course, he had put himself in "harm's" way immediately so that he could get "eaten" and not have to play anymore, but that was a minor detail.

It had been two weeks since then though, and the game was starting to wear thin on Levi's nerves. He was close to asking (read: ordering) his husband and son to stop, but their child was dead-set on slaying the menace plaguing their house.

And Levi knew that there was only one thing to do.

"Alright, that's it," he said roughly, placing his hands on his hips and staring his son down. "Attention, Soldier Jaeger!"

The child knew that voice. It was his papa's "I mean business" voice, and he immediately stood up straight. "Yes, Papa?"

"That's no way to greet your captain, Soldier!" Levi shouted in the gentlest tone he could manage while still keeping a sense of authority about him. "When your captain demands your attention, you salute him and say, 'Sir!' Now do it!"

"Sir!" the little boy said back, placing his fist over his heart in a perfect military salute, as it had clicked in his mind that this was part of the game.

Levi nodded. "Much better. Now then, Soldier Jaeger, I don't know about you, but I've had enough of this Tickle Titan. It's time the human race took this house back from the enemy. You and I will go on a special mission to defeat this monster and give humanity its next glorious victory. Do you accept?"

The child grinned and nodded excitedly. "Yes, Sir!"

"Very good. Now then, let's get suited up and head out!"

"Yes, Sir!" the child repeated, following behind as his papa picked up the laundry basket and walked out of the kitchen. Levi led him upstairs to the master bedroom, where he patiently stood in the doorway as his papa set the clean sheets down on the unmade bed, sighing. Making the bed would have to wait. He then walked across the hall to the child's bedroom, but the little boy stayed put. "That's where I was attacked," he said.

Levi nodded once and cautiously opened the door, glancing about the room for any sign of his husband, but Eren wasn't there. _Ah, he must have snuck out while we were downstairs, _Levi thought, entering the room and opening the closet. He pulled a few various clothes from the hangers and then retuned to his own bedroom, presenting them to his son. "Put these on," he said. "A soldier must be in uniform when on a mission."

"Yes, Sir!" the little boy replied, turning around and observing the clothes in his hands. There was a brown jacket, a pair of lightly-colored pants, a belt, and his rain boots. He put each piece on until he got to the jacket, at which he frowned. He then turned and went to say something, but he stopped when he saw that his papa was suddenly wearing his Survey Corps uniform, complete with his jacket and harness, his casual clothes neatly folded on the unmade bed. The child's eyes widened in awe, and he looked down at his own jacket. "Um, Sir?"

"Yes, Soldier Jaeger?" Levi asked, turning and tying his cravat into place.

"Uh…my jacket doesn't have a symbol, Sir."

He held up the blank jacket for emphasis, and Levi hummed in thought. "Yes, it would appear that way. No problem, we can fix this." He took the jacket and led his son back downstairs to the supply closet. There, he pulled two handkerchiefs, one white and one blue, from a box of miscellaneous supplies along with a sewing kit.

After cutting up the pieces and sewing them onto the jacket to resemble the Wings of Freedom, Levi presented the jacket back to his son, who was waiting patiently next to him at the kitchen table. "There you go, Soldier Jaeger," he said, "welcome to the Survey Corps."

The little boy grinned and immediately put the jacket on. "Thank you, Sir!"

Levi nodded, his heart feeling light at seeing his son so happy. However, he kept his strict, militaristic expression as he stood from the table. "Now then, we have to get you some gear. Come with me." He led the child outside into the chilly autumn afternoon, scanned the yard, and picked up two long, thin sticks. After pulling the leaves and smaller branches from it, he handed them to his son. He didn't even care that they were a little dirty. Better to end the game and clean up later than continue to put up with his husband's antics. "Your weapons, Soldier Jaeger. Is that it?"

"Um, what about gear?"

"Don't worry, I'll be your back-up with my gear."

"Okay! Thank you, Sir!"

Levi nodded and led his son back inside. "As of right now," he said as soon as he closed the back door, "we are on our mission. Be careful and stay alert. We have to find the Tickle Titan before it finds us, or we'll be at a great disadvantage. When we engage in combat, stay calm and keep aiming for the back of the neck. Like I said, I'll be your back-up, but it's up to you to slay this monster. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir!" the little boy replied, grinning and placing his fist over his heart in a salute. The excitement in his eyes was easy to see, and Levi almost smirked at it. He still couldn't help but internally groan at how horribly ironic this game was, but, as long as Eren's secret stayed safe, he figured it was okay to pretend.

In response, Levi brought a finger to his lips and shushed the child. The little boy immediately brought his arms down to his sides and nodded, suddenly remembering his captain's instructions. The Tickle Titan could be hiding anywhere! Determined to find it first, the child tip-toed out of the kitchen and led Levi up the stairs, back to where he had been attacked. Quietly, they waited in the space between his room and the master bedroom, but there was no sign of the enemy.

That was when the child's bedroom door slowly creaked open, and a gasp escaped into the air. The child immediately clamped his mouth shut and turned to his captain, who pointed at the door. Both nodding, the two entered the room and silently scanned it, waiting for any signs of life. Everything was still but a strange tension hung in the air, as if the two knew they weren't alone.

Another creak came from behind them.

"CHARGE!" Levi shouted, turning and pointing at Eren, who had both of his hands up in a claw-like pose and his mouth open, ready to roar and "bite." Eren jumped at him and attempted to grab him, but Levi moved out of the way at the last second, and their son ran behind Eren and swiped at the back of his legs with one of his stick swords. Eren fell to his knees and reached around to grab the child, but Levi picked him up first and made "zoom" sounds, mimicking the 3D Maneuver Gear as he flew him towards Eren's neck. The little boy held his stick swords high.

"SIE SIND DAS ESSEN UND WIR SIND DIE JAEGER!"

And he struck them down.

The Tickle Titan let out a pained roar and fell to the floor, motionless.

Levi set his son down, and the two silently watched the defeated monster closely. After a few moments, Eren got the message, and he started making "sizzle" sounds.

"We did it!" the little boy squealed, jumping up and down and waving his stick swords in the air. He looked up at Levi and grinned. "We did it, Captain, we won!"

Levi finally let the smirk grace his face, and he nodded. "Yes, we did. Good job, Soldier Jaeger, I'll be sure to report to the commander that humanity won another victory today."

The child giggled, dropped his stick swords, and ran over to Eren, patting his face lightly. "Game over, Daddy, we win."

Eren opened his eyes and laughed, sitting up and pulling his son into a hug. "You got me! Good job, baby, you're a natural!" He sprinkled kisses all over the child's face, prompting sweet giggles and squeals of joy. Eren kept his grip on him as he stood and bent over to kiss Levi. "You got all dressed up in your uniform just to slay me? I'm flattered."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Whatever, anything to stop this ridiculous game of yours."

Eren grinned. "And you even made the little guy his own Survey Corps jacket? Man, you must have been desperate."

"I can slay Titans with you now, Daddy!"

"I think we'll wait until you're a little older to slay real ones. In a perfect world, they'd all be gone by the time you're old enough to join the military anyway."

Levi stole another kiss from his husband. "Yes, let's hope for that instead." He lingered there for a moments, eyes closed, silently telling Eren all his hopes and dreams for their son in the future, how he'd live in his own home outside the walls, free from terror, free from his cage, just…free. Eren smiled gently and placed a kiss on the raven's forehead, silently confirming that their dreams for their son's future were the same.

Eventually, Levi sighed and pulled away. "Okay, because I spent my afternoon messing around with you two, I never got to make the bed, and I haven't gone to the market to get stuff for dinner. It's all your faults."

"Aw, Papa!" the little boy in Eren's arms whined.

Levi snorted amusedly. "Why don't you go to the market with Daddy while I make the bed? Oh, and I gotta change out of my uniform, too. Also your faults."

Eren laughed. "Whatever you say, we'll be back."

"I wanna keep wearing my uniform, Daddy!"

"Alright, no problem."

The couple kissed one more time before separating, and life immediately went back to normal. For the first time in two weeks, the Jaeger household was free from the Tickle Titan's cuddly, fun-loving control.

But Levi could swear that he heard giggling after Eren left to tuck their son into bed that night.

And he soon found himself subject to another kind of fun torture on those clean sheets lining that freshly made bed once Eren returned to their room.

END


	10. Chair Story

Author's Note: Oh my god, I'm freaking out here because Humanity's Greatest Bedtime Story is my first fanfic ever to hit 100+ positive reviews, and it currently has 12,000+ hits! Thank you all so much for making it such a success!

This chapter was sort of suggested by Bow Ties And Hair Gel. I actually had this idea swirling around in my head for a while, so I decided to write it next. Enjoy!

* * *

Levi could feel himself being pulled out of his unconscious bliss, his brain slowly forcing the rest of his body to return to the waking world. His eyelids felt heavy as he desperately attempted to keep them shut, and he suddenly found himself aware of his surroundings. He instinctively knew that it was far too early to be awake, even for soldiers, as the room was dark. He recognized his and Eren's king-sized bed with its fluffy pillows and soft sheets, so at least the material world was familiar. He then registered his husband rolling over and the mattress moving with him, causing his tired eyes to surrender and finally open. Eren yawned loudly while a low groan escaped from Levi's throat. What in the world could have…?

And then they heard it.

A whimper? No, more like crying.

Not crying…wailing.

Loud, hysterical wailing.

Their parental instincts suddenly kicked in, and Eren and Levi sprang from their bed, both now fully awake and alert. Eren quickly lit a candle in a tray, and the two ran across the hall into their son's bedroom. Levi slammed the door open, panting heavily, eyes wide with fear at what could possibly be causing his dear baby such distress, and Eren held up the candle so they could see.

Sitting on the little bed was their baby boy, sobbing heavily and covered in vomit.

After another split-second of staring, the two parents swooped down to their son. Eren set the candle on the nearby nightstand and picked the little boy up, but the child was so panicked that he was flailing and kicking his daddy, spreading the mess to his pajamas as well. Eren barely cared though, his first priority to calm the child down. "Shhh, shhh, baby," he whispered gently, "baby, sweetheart, it's okay, don't worry, we'll fix it."

"Give him to me," Levi said, holding his open arms out. "I'll give him a bath. You wash the dirty sheets and get him some new ones."

Eren nodded and placed the child in his husband's arms, immediately going to work on cleaning the bed. Levi slowly and gently rocked the boy on his hip as he carried him into the washroom. After years of practice, he had learned how to do nearly everything one-handedly, so he lit a candle sitting on the sink counter, got the warm tub water running, and then set his son down on the floor.

"Alright, let's get you out of these dirty clothes," he murmured, pulling the end of the shirt up over the child's head. He was thankful that the sobs had started to calm a little bit, but his heart still broke at the sight of his baby in tears. He gently peeled the pajama pants and underwear off and threw them into a nearby basket before dipping his little boy into the full tub. "There we go," he said, "now let's clean you up." He took a washcloth, lathered it up with plenty of soap, and started wiping the mess away, along with the last of the child's cries.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Levi making sure to wash everywhere from top to bottom. The thought of his child being sick made him feel sick, so he eventually said, "What happened, baby, do you remember?"

The little boy sniffed pathetically and dropped his head, fresh tears starting to form in his eyes. "I…I don't know, Papa, I just…I woke up and felt kinda yucky, and I was gonna come get you, but…"

Levi nodded. "Okay, I understand. Do you still feel bad?"

"Not really, just…sad."

Levi paused in his washing to press his hand against the child's forehead and then checked his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. He sighed heavily through his nose, mentally thanking whomever he could think of that his son had no other signs or symptoms of being sick. "Well, you don't have a fever, and it doesn't look like anything else is wrong, so maybe your tummy just didn't feel like cooperating with dinner. It happens sometimes." He shrugged and started washing again.

After another minute or so of silence, the little boy mumbled, "I'm sorry, Papa."

Levi froze, eyes growing wide. He tipped his son's head up so he could look into his eyes and said, "Why are you sorry, baby? Don't be sorry, you didn't do anything wrong."

"…I'm sorry I made a mess."

A brick of guilt dropped in Levi's stomach, and he suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. His precious baby hadn't been crying because he had gotten sick; he had been crying because he had thought he was in trouble because getting sick had made a mess.

And Levi never hated himself more than he did at that exact moment. He mentally swore at himself and shut his eyes tightly, attempting to keep the tears at bay. His mouth was clamped shut so hard his teeth hurt, and his breath came out as desperate pants through his nose. How dare he? How dare he raise his son with his obsessive cleanliness? How dare he raise his son…how dare he raise a child at all. He kept berating himself like this, even after he opened his eyes and saw the sincerely concerned look on his baby's face. Oh god, now he was worrying the little boy, when he should be the one worrying enough for the both of them.

His slightly trembling hands gently cupped the child's face. In the most loving, gentlest voice he could manage through his tense jaw and emotional self-hatred, he said, "Baby, you are not in trouble. You didn't break any rules, and I'm not angry about the mess. Do I look angry?"

The child shook his head.

Levi's jaw finally relaxed a bit, and he nodded. "Because I'm really not. I'm more worried about you. Sheets and pajamas can be washed, and I can clean you up. When I heard you crying, I thought you were hurt or seriously sick, and, if something happened to you…Oh my god, baby, I can change your sheets and pajamas, but I can't get another you." With no regard for the water splashing out of the tub, he leaned over and hugged the little boy tightly, hoping he could convey all his love in the action. He relaxed a little more when he felt the child cuddle up against his chest. "Do you understand?" he whispered against the dark hair tucked under his chin. "I've learned this far too late in life, but messes are a part of life. If you make a mess on purpose, yes, I'll be mad, but that's why we have cleaning supplies. But, in a case like this, where the mess isn't your fault at all, it's different."

"But," the little boy whimpered against his papa's chest, "the mess was so gross, Papa."

"I was sick all day every day for months when I was pregnant with you. I'm used to it."

"But…!"

"If we weren't supposed to get messy once in a while, why do soap, water, and washcloths exist?"

Levi could feel the child's eyes bursting open in realization, and he finally smirked.

"Exactly. Now let's get you dry."

He pulled his son out of the tub, let the water drain, and wrapped the child in a big, fluffy towel. He then picked him up and walked back into the bedroom, where Eren, now dressed in clean pajamas, was smoothing out the top blanket on the newly made bed. He grinned when he saw the two of them enter and said, "Got you a new set of sheets, baby. I soaked the dirty ones downstairs to make sure they don't stain."

Levi nodded, handing their son to his husband. "Thanks, I'm gonna go change and soak the dirty pajamas, too."

Eren cuddled the little boy against his chest as Levi gathered their son's dirty pajamas from the bathroom and then went into the master bedroom. As soon as Levi was downstairs, Eren walked to the closet and pulled a new set of pajamas out. "Let's get you dressed," he said, setting the child down and wiping the remaining wetness off his skin. Once his son was set, he sat on the little bed, holding him in his lap and gently rubbing his side. "All better," he cooed lovingly, "now I think you need some hugs and kisses and a happy story so you can sleep and have good dreams."

Eren was about to ask what story his son wanted to hear when he heard Levi come back up the stairs. When the shorter man appeared in the doorway though, he was carrying something, and it brought a smile to Eren's face. "The rocking chair…" Levi nodded and set the piece of furniture in a bare spot in the corner of the room opposite bed.

Their son looked up at Eren with curious eyes. "What about it, Daddy?"

"Ah, you probably don't remember. You were just a baby."

"Huh?"

"This rocking chair used to be in here when your room was a nursery," Levi explained, traces of a fond smile on his face. "Daddy bought it on sale in the marketplace about a month before you were born. I didn't think we needed it, but, as soon as we put it in your room, we realized how perfectly it fit."

Eren sighed dreamily and looked back at his son. "It also made us realize that we were gonna be parents, that we were gonna have you."

"And you loved it," Levi added. "Whenever you were fussy, one of us would sit in it with you and rock back and forth until you fell asleep. Worked every time. Now then…" He walked over and gently picked their son up, brought him back to the rocking chair, and sat down in it. Eren followed, picking up a nearby quilt, and knelt down next to it, smiling sweetly and watching as his husband held their son like a baby, bundled up warmly in the quilt with his head resting against Levi's chest.

The little boy looked up at his parents questioningly. "I thought I was a big boy…"

Eren shook his head as Levi started rocking the chair back and forth. "Right now, you're our baby."

For a few peaceful minutes, the little family just sat there quietly, the only sound coming from the chair moving against the wooden floor. Between the still night air outside and the gentle rocking movements, the little boy's eyes actually began to close, and he soon relaxed, his head tilting a little as he felt drowsiness slowly take over.

That was when he heard another sound, but it didn't startle him at all. In fact, it was even more relaxing than the rocking chair.

"I like your heartbeat, Papa."

A soft smile broke out on Levi's face, and he began gently stroking his son's hair. With the child's eyes closed and the candlelight illuminating his delicate skin and jet black hair, he looked more like Levi for a change. This made perfect sense to Levi. He was dark and pale at the same time, much like the moon shining against the clear night sky, so he liked that his son only looked like him at night, the time of day when everyone was asleep. He didn't want anyone, including himself, to see his child look like him. No, it was much better that people saw him during the day, when the sun radiated strength and happiness across the world, when he smiled happily and laughed brightly and looked like Eren.

He had to be like Eren. Never Levi, Eren. He definitely had to be more like Eren.

"Do you know why you like Papa's heartbeat?" Eren suddenly asked quietly, brushing his fingers against the little boy's cheek. A wide smile spread across his face as the child cracked his eyes open in question, and he finished, "It's because, when you were growing inside Papa, his heartbeat was the first thing you ever heard."

The next second, the child was asleep, and Levi suddenly wished the candle would go out so Eren couldn't see his burning cheeks.

Eren just lovingly smiled at him. "I like your heartbeat, too, you know."

"Eren…"

"I like it when it's normal, so I know you're alive and well."

"Eren-!"

"I like it when it's working hard during training."

"Eren!"

"I like it when it's sped up while I'm kissing you all over…"

"Shut the hell up, you damn brat."

Eren just laughed. "I was waiting for that." He stood and leaned over, pressing a kiss to Levi's lips. The older man rolled his eyes but returned it anyway.

Levi pulled away first. "Let's keep the rocking chair in here for a little while."

Eren nodded and pressed another light kiss on his husband's lips. "Good idea. Now let's go to bed." He steadied the chair so Levi could stand and followed his husband to the clean bed. Once their son was settled, Levi tucked the blankets around him. Eren, on the other hand, knelt down and peeked underneath the bed, smirking as he reached and pulled something out. "Ah, look who survived the night," he said cheekily, holding up his plushy Titan lookalike. Levi sighed and took it from him, gently wrapping his son's arms around it. The child instinctively hugged it close, and both parents took turns pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Good night, baby, sweet dreams."

And the rest of the night went on uninterrupted.

* * *

_Silence._

_Eren and Levi stood in the doorway of the nursery and stared. The room was longer than it was wide, but it still had plenty of room for a child to play. The crib, complete with soft sheets, sat in the right corner, facing the doorway. Next to it was the closet, filled with baby clothes. Across from the closet was a box full of toys, and next to the box was a changing station. Light shone through a single window across from the doorway, illuminating the sparkling clean floors. Sitting in the left corner was their most recent purchase._

_A rocking chair._

_"Oh my god," Eren breathed, voice barely above a whisper, "we're going to have a baby."_

_Levi ran his hands over his eight-month pregnant belly._

_"Yeah," he whispered back, staring at the rocking chair._

_This was it. This was real. It was going to happen._

_"We're really going to have a baby."_

END


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